FIELD ALLOWANCE TO COLONIAL OFFICERS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XX, Issue 2322, 29 December 1864, Page 4

FIELD ALLOWANCE TO COLONIAL OFFICERS.

Even iv the most degraded of British sports — prize-fighting— the type of all that was horrible in the scenes of the Roman arena, the lending maxim of the rules lias always been — Fair- play and no favour. It may be that this honourable spirit has not always existed in the' P.E., bub the principle is the same. The mere fact of such an axiom being introduced, shows that the promoters of the ring know right well that were their rules not based upon some such spirit of honour and impartiality, they and their pursuits would be at once scouted. If, therefore, fairplay is so regarded by men whose very profession is illegal, how much more ought it to be held in high honour by those who hold in their hands the power, of dispensing appointments and rewards. The utmost care should be taken that, as far as possible 1 , no round pin should be put into a square hole, and that no reasonable cause of complaint should be given to such as do happen to get into their places. On the ground of appointments mado iv the Waikato Regiments there has boen much said. They may easily be classed, in three lists : Tho3o ' correct, those dubious, and those indefensible. However, correct or indefensible, there the men, are, and having been taken on the pay of the Government, on certain conditions, these ought to'be adhered to. The one point we wish to allude to at present is the issue, or rather the non-issue of field allowaneo to all officers except the commanding officers.. The regulations under which the Victorian contingents volunteered stated the pay of the officers at a rate giving them the same as those of the same rank in her Majesty's service, plus three' shillings added as colonial allow ance/and promised theW rations and allowances the sume as those of the" Imperial troops. Now, how does the case stand ? In her Majesty'saervice officers draw their pay, colonial allowance, and field allowance, besides two shillings as extra colonial allowance. In tho Waikato regiments the only man who draws field allowance is the immediate commanding officer. This Beems to us' the real cause of the grievance. Had the Colonial Government said to tho officers who "joined their foree :— " Your pay " shall be 14s. 7d.,'or whatever the sum might "bc,,andno more," there could bo no justifiable reason for grumbling; but when "they promise to treat these men identically with Imperial troorisY-and do not fulfil their oontract, a verdict must be found against them. Tlio blunder has also been committed of allowing the "justice of the claim' by' giving' the field allowance to the', officer, commanding. According to, thojgwar " regulations a scale is laid down for''lhb- amount' which, eacli Yank"has to receive; -and on active service each officer 'receives J £hi^ extra' pay quarterly. No reason -why the* head -of /the regiment should, draw^an-allowance not granted ,to. .his subordi- 1 ,-nn.tes, and jnot given "specially, to his rank py^ rany .warrant. uPield'allowanco, as its name im.f ,phesftH meant asia "pecuniary compensation: fof

fieloj^gd a t plain 'oonu^Co&^9^'de'yiejir/mas£ load us to; think ifc most extraordinarjrTthat "^hen th*; „ colonel receives per diera^OsVahdJ^lpJfJd. xo chjev his field 'expenses/the unhap^py4ensiga, is to content hirasblf with his 'payjsandtyainly memqrinlise for the extra ls.*6d'. a day^towhich *hVis no doubt most justly entitled. --\