Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-02-15

| Reasonably Aspire-Rate of Wages
| Paid TO Tommy Atkins-Number of
| Deserters.
| '"The difficulty with recruiting now"
said a veteran staff sergeant who was
accOsted by n writer in Chambers
Journal sis that men look at every
thing so very much from a business
point Of view. They're not fellows
who are broke. They join the ranks
because they get so much relia BILE COM
| fort-food and lodging and time for
taking pleasure without being too tired
TO enjoy il Still. whenever there is
war scare on. there's always plenty TO
come up to the scratch. One thing is,
there's no good telling lies TO them. no
good at all. They know very well in
deed what they're doing when they
come to me-"
Still they do come. See the smart.
| well dressed country candidate. the de-
cent looking eX-car man. the shy look
| ing sprig of the educated middle class,
the callous looking member of the toll
Ing lower class. all ready-uay. eager
TO take the queens shilling. But late
liz a baronet's son Joined the ranks.
and so did the son of Il Montreal medi-
cal professor in McGill university.
Young fellows who have failed at
Sandhurst. varsity men OF spirit sick
ened with the dismal prospect of
curacy at E15 a year; other fellows out
OF n love OF adventure and desire to
see the world across the seas; decent
mechanics aud honest laborers tired OF
the monotony of their lives or out of
| oil a q
recruiting depot.
Let us see what actually are the
Young soldiers conditions and pros
poets today with the cOlors. During
the past year an addition has been
made 10 the army of $3.50 men. so that
in the estimates for 1899 1900 the num-
Der of men OF all ranks in the total OF
the regular army. exclusive of India,
IS returned At 1Si.SJ3. The establish
ment of British regiments in India is
given as 13. 15I. the same rs last year.
Tommy Atkins. when he first dons
his uniform. has. broadly speaking. the
same chances before him that youth
has who quits his fathers house to en-
ter an office in Il city of about 100000
Inhabitants. To put 1t in the briefest
possible way. young soldier on join
Ing the British army today may be
said to receive in pay, rationS. lodging.
clothing, etc. the equivalent of not less
than II ShillinSS n week. which sum
gradually Increases according 10 his
conduct and promotion. After deduct
Ing all Stoppages n we'll conducted sol
der has ut his own disposal about
shillingS Il week. most of which he
may very easily set aside. For well
conducted soldiers. who are also we'll
educated. there is a prospect of quick
promotion, if professionally fit. and the
pay of the noncommissioned officer
compares very favorably with the
wages of artisans in civil life. An or
binary sergeant of Il line regiment gets
lis. I'd. n week clear money. Il color
sergeant fl IS. and n quartermaster
sergeant Il S.. while regimental ser
geant major gets Il los. and superin-
tending clerk II 1Ss. Cd. The last two
now ranE as the warrant officers OF n
battalion, as also do the master gun
ners OF the alartillery.
All these honorable posts are open to
the deserving young soldier, but what
is not so generally known is that there
are two appointments among the COM
sively by men from the ranks-that OF
quartermaster-ther are 345 quarter
masters in the army. with pay at the
rate OF 9s. Cd. to lbs. Cd. per day-and
that of riding master. with daily pay
varying from los. Cd. TO LIS. Cd. After
81 years service. should the soldier get
so far-and il is quite possible for him
TO do so if he wishes and if there is no
physical bar-he is entitled. OH dis
charge. TO n pension varying with his
rank as follows: Privates gunners. etc.
receive from Sd. to Is. Cd. per day: non
officers. from Is. Sd. TO IS.
Cd. Il day. and let IL be noted that there
are altogether 1900 sergeants of ev-
cry grade in the army; warrant officers.
from IS. 10 5s. per day, and there are
100 of these prizes. Should Il soldier
during the first three months of his
service desire to leave the army he
may claim his discharge on payment of
80; during the LAST year 1.G49 men
ella lined their discharge on this footing.
After three months service the sum
will be Els. and the permission of the
officer commanding is necessary. Dis
charges 10y purchase are allowed to the
fullest extent consistent with the re-
Quirements OF the service; last year
! ga men were allowed to leave on
payment OF fIS.- This is called dis
charge by indulgence
But there are side shows" in the
army. if we may so dub the auxiliary
branches OF it. Of which the public new
pr hears. because. though the men be-
longing TO them are regularly drilled as
soldiers. their duties are noncombatant.
and though they share in the dangers
OF campaign they have no part in the
glory OF n battlefield. Yet they have
the best ''plums" in the army for all
that Two of these auxiliary arms OF
the service may be instanced. the med
teal staff corps and tie army service
corps. The former is under the imme-
date command OF the director general |
army medical department. and is in |