The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-28
SOLDIERS WELL PAID.
CAN SAVE MORE MONEY THAN
MEN In MANY IL
TRADES
SUBSISTENCE COSTS NOTHING
Clothing and Housing Also Fur
nished Them Free of Expense
Duties In Time of Peace
Not Arduous.

somehow there is popular preSump-
ton that the lot of the common soldier
of all nations is most forlorn one, says
the New York Sun; thatin some of the
armies his miseries are frightfub that in
regard to pay, care and consideration
his condition by comparison with his Off
GERS is but little above that of a Chinese
eoolie. Careful analyses of the pay sched-
ules and army regulations governing our
military establishment wholly dissipate
this belief, at least so far as the Ameri-
can soldier is concerned.
Data which have appeared in the Sun
from time to time since the Spanish war
prove that the officers of the United
States army, from the grade of colonel to
subaltern, are the most munifcently paid
OF any in the world, yet, nevertheless, the
disparity between the pay of the officer
and the common soldier of our army is
not so great as at first sight appears.
The difference Is far from warranting
even suspicion that the private soldier
fares i'll at the hands of his country, and
that the plums are all reserved for his
superiors.
AS a matter of fact the enlisted men of
the United States army are better paid
and provided for than American farm
laborers. coal and iron miners, ordinary
railroad employees, cab drivers motor
-,
mill hands laboring men in the various
other lines of employment, we'll as labor
is remunerated in this country. The pay
and allowance of the American soldier
throughout the year amount In the ag-
gregate to more than the average earn
ings of the Pullman sleeping car con-
ductors or the clerks in country stores.
Statistics show that at least three-ffths
of all the wage earners in the country re-
ceive less returns for their services than
the enlisted men of the United States
army.
1t is true that the original pay of the
recruit is only S13 month for the first
Two years of service, or $156 per annum
But the scale of pay is so arranged by
law that at the end of five years con-
tinuous service he is receiving SIG a
month or 1892 per annum. And if the
veteran re-enlists he receives at once an
increase of 81 a, month. to SIS, or S2l6 per
year, which continues throughout his
second term. Upon every subsequent re-
enlistment his monthly pay is increased
81.
The pay proper of the private soldier is,
of course, not large. But the soldier is
not obliged to pay out of it one cent for
maintenance; he is fed, clothed and
housed at government cost. When he
travels it is at government cost. and even
the TOOLS ne uses are furnished free of
charge. Nor does he pay out anything
for medical attendance, hospital service
or medicines and when sick he is re-
lieved from duty. But he loses no time
while sick in hospital as is the case with
civilian laborers; his pay, clothing and
subsistence allowance go right on from
the day of his enlistment until discharged
from the service. Thus the American
soldier can save every cent of his earn
ings if he is so minded After the civil
ian employe has paid his board bill, his
clothing account and various other drafts
Upon his earnings, to say nothing of pos
sible medical charges how much will he
have left out of a salary of say SIS a
day for the twenty six working DAYS of
eachs month? Moreover, he is usually
out of service a considerable portion of
each year, or sick. when his pay stops.
whereas the soldiers pay goes right
on.
Besides, the private soldier always has
before him the chance of promotion ia
the non-commissioned grades, which car
ry increase of pay. The private soldier $
pay is by no means the limit for en-
listed men. Following is a table showing
the minimum pay of the private soldier
and certain company and regimeutaj
on-commissioned officers during their
first enlistment, and the maximum upor
re-enlistment for a second term:
Pay of NOn-CommfssiOned Oficers.