The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-15
SOLDIERS ARE WELL PAID
FOOD, CLOTHING AND RENT FREE
By THE GOVERNMENT.
No Time Lost by sickness and No
Doctors Biils-Niews OF a United
states Army officer.
Wa shington Letter.

There is a movement on foot to give TO the
American soldier regular rations of smoking
and chewing tobacco, and a bill has been
introduced in the House of Representatives
by Peter ]. Otey, of Virginia, which pro-
vides for supplying regularly enlisted men
with this commodity.
Give it TO them" said an officer of the
army yesterday. II have been in the serv-
ice for more than thirty-five years and in
that time have seen great deal of the en-
listed men. My duties have taken me
abroad occasionally. and l have seen the
enlisted men in the armies of other ma
tions. This inspection that 1 have been
able to make has convinced me, if l needed
any convincing, that the American soldier
is the best that the world produces. Moth
ing is too good for him. But in the dis
cussion that is bound to follow the intro
duction of the bill 1 hope there will be
nothing said about our enlisted men that
will make them appear like paupers. They
a fine body, sometimes little rough,
but in no sense men that either need or
desire more than is coming to them.
when 1 say they are the best paid of
any soldier in the world l am not arguing
against giving to them little more than
they are now receiving. The fact remains,
however that we pay our enlisted men bet
ter than any other country under the sun
pays its soldiers, and that there are very
few mechanical trades where the pay is
large as that received by an enlisted man
in the United States army.
For the first two years of service an en-
listed man receives s13 a month for the
third year $14, for the fourth year SIS and
for the fifth year SIS month. If he enlists
again after that he receives SIS a month.
The amount seems small when it is taken
alone, but there are so many other things
that go with the pay that the aggregate
is really large.
IL have been at some pains TO find out a
few things that will make the comparisons
concerning a soldiers pay clearer. car
penter, for instance, receives from So to
$3.50 a day for his work But there are
days when the carpenter does not work,
either because he has not job or because
the weather is such that it is impossible
for him TO work. That is lost time and
brings no income From my investiga tons
| am prepared to say that the average pay
of a carpenter is 81 a day all the year
round. This means to him about 1856
year. Out of this he must pay for rent,
car fare and food. and when the end of
the year comes he is either a very lucky
carpenter or a very saving one who has
| anything left. The expenses of living
enough to completely consume his earn
ings
Now, how about the common soldier?
The government allows to him the amount
L have specified, according to the period of
his service In addition to the money he re-
ceiVes there are coats, boots shoes-well,
all that man needs to clothe himself for
all sorts of weather, from the skin out, and
that of the best quality suited to the pur
pose. In the winter he has better furs to
keep his hands and head warm. better un-
uerclothing and better outer garments than
the average workingman. His food is
good and he does not have to worry about
| the landlord every month.
eff he is sick no matter how trihing his
ailment there is a doctor for him. and no
bill to meet after he gets well and no
dockage for time that he may not be able
to work. His pay goes just the same
whether he is sick well. and has the
best medical attention. You know ] am
sure, that not only mechanics. but others
| drawing better pay than mechanics, fire.
quently allow what they consider small
ailments to work out their course without
medical treatment because they fear a
| doctors bill, and cannot afford to lose their
| time which they should devote to caring
| for themselves. In this way, no doubt,
| good constitutions are undermined and a
| foundation laid for feeble old age. With
| the soldier no such condition obtains.
After careful computation, the result
| of many years experience, | say freely that
the. pay of the newly enlisted man in the
| United States army, when he draws only
| SIS a month. is equal to more than $50 q
| month under different conditions. And-I
want to repeat 1.-THE is worth the money.
| Absolutely the only expense that a soldier
| is obliged to be under is his laundry bill.
| and this amounts TO about $50 a month.
| In some stations, especially where the can
| teen was in use. even this was done away
| with, the canteen paying the laundry for
| the garrison.
Take a look at the quarters that the en-
| listed men occupy. They are commodipus
and clean. There is a Young Mans Chris
| tan Association in every important post,
and the enlisted man finds there encOur-
| agement to improve himself mentally and
/ enjoy innocent games with his fellows
| Look at ii any way you will. the enlist
| ed man is far better off than he would be
| in any other position i'm life that he is cap
| able of filing. At the same time, if he
/ wants the tobacco, and most of them do,
| let him have it, There are no better
| fighters than the enlisted men of the United
| States army. and when the pinch comes
| they are ready to do their duty. whatever
! that may be. They need no urging nor
driving. and when they fight-and | have
| watched them in this-they fight not like
men who are paid so much month for the
| work. but like veritable devils. who care
| nothing for their own lives, their own COM
| fort or their own convenience. Show them
| the enemy and they are ready to obey any
! orders their officers may see fit to issue.
| The enlisted man is not pauper, but he
| is a fighter. and |, for one. am in favor of
| letting him have all the tobacco that is
| good for him at the expense of the gov
| eminent He deserves it,"