Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-11

tunity to learn another or half a dozen
more If he shows the desire and ability.
addition to the ordinary British private's
pay of % cents day, extra trade"
pay varying from % cents to 70 cents a
day, according to his proficiency. He is
clothed and fed and housed, of course,
in addition, and if he obtains permission
from his commanding officer to marry
Ion the strength" he gets free quarters
for his wife and family, with coal and
light and other allowances. His officers
fare equally wei. A lieutenant colonel
receives the ordinary service pay of S4.5O
a day and in addition $3.50 engineers "
pay. The major gets an extra $2.25, the
captain $1.5O and the lieutenant 81. They
also receive a number of allowances and
privileges not granted to officers of the
line. II he is in India or abroad the en-
gineer officer also is allowed to supple
ment his pay by taking private commits
sions. so long as they do not interfere
with his army work.
One reason why the society type of Of
ficer looks down on the engineers is
because they have to work hard all the
time. The other day the writer was at
Aldershot, the biggest military depot in
England, looking for a major of engi-
neers. After wandering over half the
camp asking questions he was directed to
IA new barracks in course Of erection. He
found his major half way up Scaffold-
ing, covered with lime and mortar, swear
D.
only apparent link with the army was
their much worn and work-stained uniform
trousers. The major was for the time be-
ing just master builder and his men
were the sappers of his company. The
same officer is also a skilled railway
man. and could build a locomotive if he
were put to it.
The selection of candidates for COM
missions in the engineers is particularly
severe In theory and almost always in
practice nowadays, every candidate for
the kings commission must pass through
one of the military academies at Sand
hurst and Woolwich. Sandhurst is the
training school for officers of the line and
Woolwich for the engineers and artillery
men, who must also be equipped with
highly technical knowledge Examina-
tons for admission to these institutions
are held at stated intervals, and the boys
who come out at the top of the list are
offered the choice of going to Woolwich
or Sandhurst. The rest are sent to Sand
hurst without further ado. If boy who
has displayed outstanding ability chooses
Sandhurst he is urged to change his mind
and the advantages OF the engineer corps
are explained to him.
The unornamental character of the en-
gineers is emphasized by the fact that
they seldom get together IN large num-
bers. There are only S.ooo OF them al
together, anu lUey IL S'Ci VIII
stitute an independent command. In war
fare company of engineers would
be attached to regiment OF the line
and the engineers would act as fore
men. using the line privates as la
boiers The engineer officer, while ac-
tually in charge of the technical opera
tons, would have to take his orders from
the line officer in command. But there
is a prospect that as result OF last
years strike and of the present tension
with Germany the engineers may become
more important than they are. / am in
formed that the government has been
thinking seriously of Matchmaking the
railways, not as a measure OF socialism,
brit as one Of national defense.
The strike took place just at thu time