The Washington times., 1901-10-13
Tho ARMY RANK AND FILE.
American Soldiers Receive Higher
Pay Than Any Others.
Extra Allowance for Fighting and
for Merit-LibernI Retirement Pro-
vision-Chief Musicians Receive
Largest salary of Enlisted Men.

we civilians are prone to see only the
shoulder straps in the army" remarked
a well-knowR Senator to several news
paper men today, yet the rank and file.
especially in war time. comes mainly from
as good sterk as the officers. was agree
ably surprised the other day to find in the
Public Ledger a luminous exploitation
of what constitutes the bill of fare of the
American common soldier, both in garri-
son and field, as well as In transit 1t
| was not only interesting. but instructive
| because. as stated in the Ledger article,
| most people are lamentably ignorant OF
| the details incident to the daily life of the
/ enlisted men. For instance. almost any
body can tell you what the annual pay of
a major general or brigadier general Is,
but who knows what a sergeant major re-
ceives? How much do the line sergeants,
corporals, and privates receive per
month? 1 don't know, and 1 am ashamed
to acknowledge it. because 1 admire the
clean. manly American common soldier as
highly as I do his officer OF whatever
| grade
| 1t is true that with the public generally,
and more particularly in official circles,
the army" means simply the officers.
Five-sixths of all the laws. regulations.
and official recitatious concerning the
military establishment relate solely to its
official personnel. Nevertheless. while the
enlisted man is very little gloriied by
| name in battle bulletins, and receives but
scant individual notice under any cireum-
stances, he is not only well fed and cloth
ed, but he is far better paid than any 9TH
er soldier in the world
The present pay of enlisted men OF all
arms, grades, and classes is fixed by eight
several acts OF Congress within the last
ten years. beginning with the act OF June
Is, 1890. and ending with that Of May 26,
1900. No change in the pay of enlisted
men was made in the Reorganization bill
approved February 2 1901 The pay of en-
listed men is on an ascending scale. based
on the length of service. That is the
drawing influence which keeps veterans
in the service year after year.
Private soldiers of the artillery. caval-
~. and infantry arms. and of second
class privates of the Engineer, Ordnance.
and Signal Corps, receive $13 per month
for the first two years of their service,
and an addition of 81 per month each re-
naming year of their first five years
term of service. That is. the fifth year
their pay is SIG per month. If after five
years of continuous service, the private
re-enlists his pay jumps to SIS per month.
For every additional period of five years
another dollar is added to his monthly
pay.
Considering the fact that the private
soldier is also boarded and clothed and
transported free of cost to himself. this
Is very good remuneration comparing IA
vorably with the earnings of workingmen
In civil life. The soldier has no RESPONSE
bilities. and Is not called upon to pay out
of his private funds a single nickel from
one years end to another When he is
sick the Government sends him to a com
Portable hospital. where he Is nursed.
doctored, and medicined at public ex-
pense.
The American private soldier has other
advantages unknown to Old World SOL
diers. The act OF April %, 1898, increased
his pay 20 per cent in time of wax All
the Philippine soldiers are drawing this
extra pay. A certificate OF merit entities
the private soldier to 81 per month extra
pay, continuing through all his subse-
quent service from the rendition of the
distinguished service After thirty
years continuous service. and for certain
disabilities, an enlisted man may be re-
tired with three-fourths of the monthly
pay he was drawing when retired, besides
which his ration and clothing allowances
are commuted in cash at $3.50 per month
At the beginning of the present year
there were 1,64S enlisted men on the re-
tired list 1t will be noted that it is
something To he a retired private soldier.
A company corporal OF artillery, cavalry
and infantry, an artitcer of infantry and
field artillery and the farrier. blacksmith
and saddler OF cavalry Is paid SIS per
month for the first two years, SIG the
third, Sl7 the fourth. and SIS the fifth.
In the second term of enlistment his pay
is 800 per month throughout with a rise
of 81 for each subsequent term of, enlist
Tnent- Company sergeants of artillery
cavalry and infantry, quartermaster ser
geants, stable sergeant of Id artillery.
band sergeant (musician) -qpany
cook receive SIS per month Tor the first
two years. S19 the third. so the fourth,
for a second term this is increased to 81
per month, with increase OF 81
per month for every subsequent term
First sergeants of artillery. cavalry and
infantry are paid S25 per month the first
two years and 81 advance each subsequent
year of the first term. They receive $50
per month throughout the second term.
with the usual addition of 81 per month
every subsequent re-enliStment. Squad
ron sergeant major of cavalry, and battal-
ion sergeant major Of infantry. acing
hospital stewards, drum major of artil-
lery, cavalry and infantry and musician
of the second class at the Military Acad-
envy receive the same pay as first SER
geauts.
IN the reElnCnidi OfSanlZAtiOl the COM
miSSary sergeant OF cavalry and infan-
try, the sergeant major and quartermaster
of artillery, cavalry. and infan-
try, receive S3l per month for the first
two years, and the usual dollar increase
for the subsequent years of the first en-
listment The second term the pay is SO
per month, with the dollar increase for
subsequent terms of enlistment. At mil
itary posts ordnance serSeants, commits
sary SCrgeants, post guartermastcr SER
geants. and electrician sergeants receive
the same pay as the foregoing.
The highest pay drawn by an enlisted
man in the army il that of the chief
musician of artillery, cavalry and infan-
Try bands. He receives SO per month the
first two years, and dollar additional
'Or subsequent years. Upon re-enlistment
month, and he has the usual increase for
subsequent terms of enlistment. hos
pital steward is paid SIS per month, in
creased to SIS by the fifth year For his
Privates of the Hospital Corps are paid
SlS per month, Increased to $l9 by the
18th year. For second term their pay
s SS per month. Ordinary musicians of
artillery. cavalry. and infantry receive
~ per month. which ascsnds to SIS by
he fifth years, and for n second term to
~ The chief trumpeter of cavalry and
trtillery is paid the same. The first-class
musician at West Point gets $24 increased
% sS7 by the fifth year, and his pay il
80 throughout the second term OF en-
istu,ent
Privates Clrst class Of the Engineer.
Ordnance. and Signal Corps receive 81
'cr month for the first two years ircreaE-
ng to $50 on the fifth year The second
crm of enlistment their pay - SO per
month. a corporal of these corps re-
elves $50 per month at first and SO the
ast year of his first term with sgi the
econd term. First class sergcants Of the
irst two years. which increases to SIS the
ifth. and goes up to SO Der month