Evening star., 1941-07-20
S21 Salary Leaves
Rookie in Army With
S5.55 70 Spend
But Poy Raises Come
Soon and Earnings
Rival Best in World
Nv STERLING F. GREEN.

Concerning the wages of the one
out of every 100 Americans who Is
In the Army now
He gets little pay. is relieved of
most of it right in the paymaster's
Office, and still fares about as well
financially as fighting men any
where.
The s2l a month drawn by Pvt
Doe, U. S. A, looks small compared
to the S1.30 a day paid his Cana
dian counterpart.
But the Dominion fighters pay
is cut in half when he's on duty
outside Canada. so as not TO top
the English tOmmy'S IS cents a
day. The rest is held for him, avail
able for emergency use.
And unless Pvt. Doe is a regular
Inmate of the guardhouSe or back
ward about the manual of arms,
he'll be raised automatically after
four months service to $50. That is
close to top scale for the military
profession anywhere, and enough to
make an audible jingle as the SOL
dier logs from paymasters desk to
pest exchange.
Although Uncle Sam provides
shelter, food and clothing, a re-
Crult'S first four months are almost
strictly non-prof1t War Depart
ment sources estimate that by the
time a selecteeS laundry bill, in
5uranCe Qf any, contribution TO
the Soldiers Home, and Chits at
the post exchange are totaled up,
he'll owe the Army Sl4 or SIS of
his s2l. The debt is collected i'm
mediately, before ne gets a chance
to spend it.
Apt Soldiers Move Up.
Thls poverty passes Apt soldiers
move up the ranks to first class
privateS, commissioned officers
and specialists. and the pay scales
up to Sl26 a month for a master
sergeant. 1t is judged that about
tWo-thlrds of the Army of 400 900
men by midsummer will be getting
S36 As first class privates or still bet
ter salaries for higher ranks.
Many soldiers even save money.
They are encouraged by the COM
pany commander to turn over to him
bit of the monthly stipend to be
put away at per cent interest.
Until lately each soldier got a
clothing allowance BY using his
housewife just a sewing kit-he
could save on the apparel allowance.
The allowance has been eliminated
and housewives are no longer issued,
All needs, including repairs, are
handled by the Army.
The company commander is
father-confessor and sometimes
stern parent in financial matters. He
tries to prevent a soldier from obli-
eating more than two-thirds of his
pay, because the spare dollars come
In handy for train fares on leave and
other items.
$40 Bill at Post Exchange.
In general, a soldier can figure on
running up $40 bill at the post
exchange, where he gets shaving
cream, razor blades, tooth paste.
cigarettes and candy at wholesale
plus small percentage for overhead
Laundry runs about $3.50 a
month. Twenty-Five cents goes to
the Soldiers Home fund. Camp
movie admissions are sold in blocks
of 10 at S140 and commanders try
RI limit 1out- -,-o - l-i,,r eoIrI;or= - +r,a
blocks month-a seemingly am
pie cinema ration of two nights out
of every three.
Lie insurance costs IS, cents a
month for each $1,000 up to a maxi
mum of $4,000. The Army makes
no provision for dependents. A
selectee is not supposed to have any,
and the regulars are volunteers who
presumably did not plan to feed
dependents on recruits wage.
S5.55 a Month to Spend.
SO if Rookie Doe has normal
sweet tooth, goes to 10 movies a
month, has $1,000 worth of insur-
ance, and doesn't let his laundry
bills soar, he'll have S555 a month
to spend recklessly. That fourth
month pay raise will come in mighty
handy.
BY the end of June, however. the
number of soldiers getting only s21
will be a mere handful About 400
600 men with specialist ratings ano
100000 commissioned officers
get pay ranging up to $50 for a
sergeant, S84 for a technical SER
geant, and s126 for a master SER
geant.
The landlord never comes around
and there are no worries about
grocery, fuel, light or clothing bills
All in all, Army officials say, the
recompense for service in the United
States forces not only measures uI
to that of other countries, but ir
net income compares not too badly
with scales in private American
industry.