Omaha daily bee., 1906-03-26
PAY OF UNITED STATES SOLDIERS
Plausible Reasons I'm support of an
Increase.
Review of Reviews.

REVIEW Oh Reviews.
Plantation negroes are better paid than
our soldiers. The latter pay is Sl3 per
month, or 43ls cents per day. BY add
ing the average allowance of 10 cents per
day for clothing and is cents for the ra-
tion we have the total OF 16ls cents per
day, which is less than any class OF labor
quoted Even the general laborer, with
out any special skill OF any kind. COM
mands an average wage of 1886 per day,
and the ordinary farm laborer 20 cents for
four months and $l.53 during the harvest
time The lowest wages paid to any class
OF labor in the United States, so far as
am able to find from the statistics of the
Department OF Labor is that paid to the
plantation negro laborers of the cane fields
of Louisiana. For the years OF 1889 to
1901, the average wages paid to them at
Calumet, La, We're as follows:
Cultivating season, men, without board
20 cents per day: grinding season, men,
without board, N.25 per day; general aver
age, 81 per day.
The laborers are furnished with houses.
gardens and given othof privileges, be-
sides being allowed Saturday afternoons
of two or three times per month. From
this it will be seen that the lowest and
most ignorant class of negro labor in the
country is better paid than the private
soldier in the army. The negro requires
little clothing, whereas the soldier must
always be decently dressed. The negro
gets his Saturday and Sunday holidays,
whereas the soldier IS on duty at all
times, by night as well as by day. In
addition, the soldier is at all times sub
ject TO orders which may cause him to
III In
should be worth something to him, as in
suranee companies recognize this risk by
charging him extra premiums. II is true
that the government provides for the re-
tirement Of the soldier after thirty years
service, with threc-fourths OF his pay on
the active list, a privilege which. the or
binary does not enjoy, but the percentage
of men who avail themselves OF this ben
eft is so small, under present conditions,
and the reward so distant and remote,
that il does not figure largely in the actual
computation of the soldiers pay
Even hospital accommodations and med
icines, which are furnished 10 the soldier
free, are now being provided by many OF
the large industrial corporations without
charge to their employees. Medical atten-
ton is provided by many for the sick,
schools are maintained for the young
comfortable quarters constructed for liv-
ing purposes. hours OF labor reduced and
other Inducements offered which make the
lot Of the laborer far more easy and at
tractive than ever beforv. But the pay
of the soldier remains practically the same
as it was twenty years ago. This pros
porous period In our cOuntry's history as
yet makes no corresponding betterment for
the pay OF the soldier, and he IL the only
one who has not shared in the general
prosperity. The pay Of the private, cor
poraA and sergeant OF the fine is the same
as that fixed by congress July /, 1871
What wonder that noncommissioned Off
/ GERS or privates who are discharged with
excellent character do not re-enlist, wher
they can find other employment at higher
wages, fewer restrictions and more at
] tractiye inducements.