The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-10-24
Tommy ; III ! Atkins
Gets Poor Pay
GOVERNMENT SYSTEM ATTACK.
ED EDIT0RIALLY BY LEADING
LONDON NEWSPAPER

BY Associated Press.
LONDON, Oct. 24.--Five shillings
q week to the soldiers wife who has
lost her husband in fighting his
'country's battles
With this exclamation one of the
leading London papers attacks edi-
torially the governments pension
system which it says is due to the
old tradition summed up in Yelling
TOMS assertion that his troops in the
Spanish campaign, were only "thc
scum OF the earth. The War Office.
according to the writer, fails to
realize that times are different now
and the vast majority Of volunteers
ere men who in civil life earned good
wages in factory, field, office and
shop.
Indignation has also been express
ed in parliament, so that it is not I'M
likely some reform in pensions may
follow. III r.
In the British army the pay of Of
ticers and men is dependent on tho
regiment. There is no standard
scale of pay as in America. Commits,
stoned officers, as rule, receive s
sum impossible to live on t-abou:
S35 a month. They must have indie
rendent means, and in the crack reg
fments, such as the Scots Greys OF,
the Grenadier Guards they must be
wealthy, with popo ponies, Wallets
and expensive uniforms. But in GER
tain of the colonial troops doing pc
lice duty in lands bordered by say.
ages, they get as good pay as Ameri.
can officers and do not have to keer
up expensive establishments.
The ordinary infantrymen in the
new volunteer army of million
men, pledged to foreign service, arc
started off at $1.65 a week, clear OF
expenses. Married men are allowed
in addition separation pay for theii
families at the rate Of $1.90 weel
for the wife and two pence day
or IS cents week-for each child.
In the county Of London they arc
given a further sum Of so cents a
week, owing to the higher cost OF
living.
All married soldiers serving abroad
are Obliged to allot at least 65 cents
week to their families out Of then
cwn pay Worked out on this scale
the lowest sum a soldiers wife with
out children can receive Is 23 shill
ings a week in the case Of a warrant
officer, % for a reigmental quarter.
master sergeant, 16 shillings SIX
pence for corporal or private. ri
the wife has four children to support
she will receive, on the same scale,
a sum ranging from 81 to % shill.
ings.
Widows OF those who die on &c
tive service receive from five to ten
week, according to the
rank and pay of the husband. But
the mass of them will not get over
five shillings. An extra allowance
varying from forty to fifty cents a I
week for each child is given, how
ever.
awhile there are no government
homes for old soldiers in Great Brit
ain. as in the United staes, there are
certain homes maintained by private
OF these, the largest and
most famous is in Chelsea, London.
The garden party given at the Chel-
sea home for its benefit is one Of the
big social events of London's spring
season.
Much suffering was caused by the
dcferring the payment
of separation allowance to soldiers
wives during the first two months OF
the war. Not until October ] was
this money put into the hands of the
women. War office red
tape also held UP pay allotments.
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