The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-02-03
ASKS INCREASE
ENLISTED PAY
Senator Trammell Believes
Army PrivateS Should Ad-
vance With Officers
BY GEORGE n. MANNING.

| BY GEORGE n. MANNING
Washington, d. c., Feb. 2-Increas- =
, ed pay for all grades OF enlisted men
in the army equal to those planned
for the army officers was urged in
the senate by Senator Park Tram
nell of Florida, during consideration
of the bill increasing the pay of Off
GERS 81 per cent, that of some grades
| of enlisted men 20 per cent, but Civ
ling no increases to enlisted men of
| the lower grades.
Senator Park Trammell occupied the
senate floor for upwards of two hours
in an effort to obtain more liberal
treatment for the enlisted men.
| IF the conditions in this country
Justify any increase in the army Of
ficers' pay upon a basis of 81 per
cent the same conditions and same
elements of justice also surround the
private soldiers, and for my life l
cannot draw any distinction between
the merits of the two cases. declared
Senator TrammeIl
| Senator Trammell offered an amend
ment to give the privates 81 per cent
increase, equal to that of the officers,
and talked at length it. It was
defeated by a close vote of 24 to &c.
Then he offered an amendment to
give all the enlisted men, instead of
only part of them, a 20 per cent in
crease This was also lost on a tie
25 to 25. Senator Trammeu gave
lnotice he would bring this amendment
before the senate again later on.
| Il have a great deal of appreciation
and esteem for the officers who COM
manded our army and navy, but
have no less esteem for the enlisted
lmen,'' said Senator Trammell. Both
are essential to success.
Senators talk about some officers
having resigned from the army. They
will keep on doing that, regardless
of the salary. There are doubtless
some officers who could make more in
private industry, and there are a good
many more who are enjoying better
salaries than they could secure if they
went out into the fields of private
endeavor. L know quite a good many
officers personally. / know of some
of them who made some sacrifice in
serving their country at the salaries
they were getting during the recent
war; but, one the other hand L know
of quite a few of them who enjoyed
emOlumentS to the extent of $500 or ST.
600, or maybe 1900, per annum more
than they We're. getting in the priv
ate employment in which they were
lengaged prior to connecting them
Iselves with the army.
| IF you are going to argue that they
might command greater emoluments
in the private walks of life. can you
not with equal merit and with equal
ljustice and logic also argue that a
great many of the privates can COM
Imand more in private industries?
"Take the case of a major drawing
about $4,000 a year. What will the
average man over this country, who
Ipays the fiddler, think when you tell
him to will increase the officers pay
81 per cent, or by $1,000 in order that
he may meet the necessities of life.
and in the next breath say that the
private getting $50 month is getting
sufficient because he has a place to
Isleep and his meals, and should get
no increase at all?
Il can not quite discern between
the two, why officers should eniov a
81 per cent increase and the others
should enjoy no increase or that n
certain class of the privates should
| enjoy an increase of only 20 per
cent and about half of all of them
should not be given any increase what
lever. Those omitted are those who
lreceive the smallest salary at pres
ent.
Il do not feel that we have been
dealing quite fairly with the rank
and file of the American army ard
navy. Ever since the termination of
the war we have been called upon
to legislate, and there has been {, dis
position to legislate, in favor of in
creasing the salaries of officers, in
ifayor of providing certain special rec
ognition to certain officers on account
of the service that they rendered dur
ling the war, and a deaf ear, almost,
has been turned to the rank and file
of the American army and navy in the
matter of paying a nations tribute to
them for their valor, for their cour-
tage, and for their sacrifices during
that terrible conflict which tested the
manhood of the nation.
! II submit, Mr.. President, that our
officers performed a commendable
service, that they reflected credit upon
themselves, upon the American army,
,upon the American navy, and upon
their nation, and that they are entitled
to some recognition. But l also as
sert, Mr.. President, that the priv
late soldier and the officers of lower
frank, such as lieutenants and captains,
land occasionally a major, who led the
charges from the trenches and won
(No. 3-Contiaued on Page Two)