IMPERIAL COMMISSIONS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10636, 21 April 1900, Page 3

IMPERIAL COMMISSIONS.

TO THE KDITOIt OP TILE TKXSS. g; ri \ 3 your correspondent "Bull's-eye" has referred" to the need of applicant* for commissions being of prirate means, perhaps a few words on the subject of regimental expends may not be out of j place,"for unless tho cost of living in the service be thoroughly weighed, many a "mucker" will be run. with the inevitable Gaectt'e announoenuMit that "2nd Lieutenant N.Z.. "i 'I* Ktit-liiiid Light Infantry, resigns hi* commission. ' As a Hr:tl>h officer is always described as "an officer and a gentleman," and as at Home and in the service a somewhat different meaning is. perhaps, placed upon tie latter designation than in the colonies, it is a "sine qua non" that an applicant should be of good birth, for the designation referred to money does not give; it is a case of "nascitur non fit." lam not referring to "rankers," for their brother oflicers do all they can to mate them feel perfectly at their ease on promotion to a commission. With regard to expenses, I am afraid that £50 per annum will scarcely enable a man to live on his pay at a Home <;r Mediterranean station, even in the cheapest line regiment. But before considering this it is well to bear in mind that a 2nd lieutenant's outfit— uniform, barrack room furniture, etc.—cannot be obtained even at cost tn-ice for much Ims than from £100 to £200. *To take a few itemv In tbe artillery, at store prices, a subaltern's tunic (garrison or field) costs £10 6s 6A, his stable jacket £8 12s Cd, mess vest £2 11s 6d. patrol jacket £4 12s. cloak and cape £6 3s, sabretasche and slings £7 10s; these as« only a few items out of many. A { subaltern's full dress jacket, Horse Artillery, costs £23 13s 6d, and other items in proportion. Highland regiments, again, are most expensive, the feather bonnet costing £10 10s, and the sporran £8 10s. In Fusilier regiments the bearskin cossts £12, whilst Rifle- regiments are also expensive. The cavalry, of course, is quite outside the reach of most colonials, as far as expenses are concerned. Hut now that our tyro has paid his outfit expenses, his troubles are only beginning; for instance, his mess bill will often far exceed hie pay, whilst in many stations the cost of entertaining the officers of regiments passing through, "en route," will amount to a good deal in the year. Moreover, expensive crockery and glass, broken by clumsy mess waiters, all helps to swell the account. It is true a soldier's servant is given him, but that means providing mess, livery, and other expenses. Again, take the band; most regimental bands muster, tibout forty strong, but the Government allowance for a line battalion is one bandmaster, one band sergeant, and sixteen drummers, the instruments, music, training, etc., of the other men is paid for by the officers, which means a stoppage of a good many days' pay, which, with further stoppages for the regimental school for soldiers' children, cost of entertainments, and ■undry other subscriptions, still further reduce the small sum standing to the subaltern's credit, or, to l>e more accurate, still further increases his debtor balance.

As the first thing when pnrade is over that an officer does is to get out of his uniform, his mufti costs him something, and as Mr Johnson, must keep up the appearance of the regiment, he must be well dressed in every particular, he will find a "good" London tailor will charge him from £8 8s to £9 9s for a tweed suit; he will get the "cut " obtained nowhere else, but he must pay for it. His regiment may keep a small-yacht, or a four-horsed drag, or go in for polo, etc. All this will mean money to him, and will cost far more at Home, three times at least, than such amusements cost out here.

The fact is, the British Government has not the slightest difficulty in obtaining officers ; the pay to most men is no consideration whatever, the. stiff examinations being as much for the purpose of weeding men out as lor testing their knowledge. With no pay, our army, as regards the junior ranks, would be fully officered to-mor-row. In the colonfes, where wealth is the exception, this is hard to understand.— Yours, etc., FORAGECAP.