The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-01-11
OFFICERS PAY IN JAPAN
WHAT \ TOURIST HAS TO SAY ON
THE SUBJECT.
Captains. S25 Months: Lieutenants,
$17, and Sub-Lieutenants, Sl4-IIard
Work for Line Officers TO Live.

Some tourists who visit your beat
tiful country shudder when they learn
that the japanese laborers at work in
the sugar cane fields receive but $l5
and SIS month for their services"
said II prominent American this fore
noon. who is a guest at the Hawaii
an hotel.
you NAV rest assured that they
have never been in Japan, or else th"y
would congratulate them upon heir
good luck. Mind you, these laborer
are the very lowest grade of coolies.
and vet they draw as much money.
and in Il great many instances more.
than Il Japanese lieutenant in the
army.
IL have taken pains to investigate
the circumstances of junior army Of
ticers at present. when cries of hard
ship in living are heard from those de-
pending upon small fixed incomes.
The monthly salaries for junior army
officers are 50 yen for captains. "a yen
for lieutenants, and 2S yen for sub
lieutenants. They receive over and
above their salaries certain small
allowance for house rent, the amount
being 4h yen for captains, / yen for
lieutenants and 81, yen for sub-lieu-
tenants.
~ Japanese yen is worth less than
30 cents of your money, so you see "A
first lieutenant receives but S17 pay
and his superior officer but SIS more.
Nov look at the expenses these Of
ticers are put to. The income tax of
=.
into account. then the monthly sub
scription of 80 sen a month to the Ar
my Officers club, and 40 sen
a month to the Military Re
lief Fund. The three items to-
tai IS sen per month, and the monthly
income of 3l.j0 yen (salary and house
rent aIlowance) becomes 3O.52 yen. Il
from this the expenses for uniforms
and aCCOutrcmentS are deducted. il is
doubtful whether the sum of % yen
will remain i'm the hands of AN officer
of this grade. Specially hard is the
lot Of a Sub-lieutenant of the caval-
~ corps for he, like higher officers. IS
under the obligation of keeping two
horses. An allowance is of course
given for the expenses of these hor-
ses. but its amount is far from cover
ing the actual disbursements, swollen
as these are by the recent rise of the
market price of commodities. The Of
fetal allowance for charger is IL yen
and for an additional horse 6 ven.
The lowest possible estimate of a
charger involves an expense of 1913
yen month and an additional horse
80 yen, or 20.2j yen for the two. The
balance, 1l.2j yen, has to be made
good out Of the officers pocket. This
deficit being deducted from the month
~ income of 1882 yen, as previously
calculated, a sub-lieutenant of caval-
rvs monthly income dwindles down
TO 1927 yen, sum hardly sufficient
to keep him in decent condition.
AT any rate the japanese officers
are under considerable disadvantages
IN their circumstances as compared
With their brother officers of the west,
where the profession is sought after
by most of the aristocracy and those
of the Weather classes who are in
different whether or not the pay CIV
EN- them by the government is sufiicI-
ent for their living. In striking CON
trast to them, the officers of Japan
are in most cases the sons of poor
shizoku, who, far from being able to
help their sons in the army, are gen
orally dependant upon the latter. The
statistics of junior army officers On
service with the Colours in July last
were, 1,176 captains, rs lieutenants.
and 1,46S sub-lieutenants; in all
1862"