SOLDIERING AS A BUSINESS.

Evening Star, Volume 11221, Issue 11221, 21 April 1900, Page 2

SOLDIERING AS A BUSINESS.

Tommy Atkins, when he first dons his uniform, has, broadly speaking, the sams chances before him that a youth has who quits his father’s house to enter an office in a city of about 258,000 inhabitants. To put it in the briefest possible Way, a young soldier on joining the British Army to-day may be said to receive in pay, rations, lodgings, clothing, etc , the equivalent of not less than 15s a week, which sum gradually increases according' to his conduct and promotion. After deducting alt stoppages a well-conducted soldier has at his own disposal about 5s a week, most of which he may very easily set aside. Fo* well-conducted Soldiers, who are also well educated, there is a prospect of quick promotion if professionally fit, and the pay of the non- commissioned officer compares very favorably with the wages of artisans in civil life. An ordinary sergeant of a line regiment gets 17a 61 a week clear money; a color-sergeant, £1 iia 2d; and a quartermaster-sergeant, £1 8s; while a regimental sergeant-major gets £1 Ifigand a superintending clerk £1 18s 61. The last two rank as the warrant officers of ja battalion, as also do the master gunners of the Royal Artillery. All these honorahlq posts are open to the deserving yonng. soldier; but what is. not so generally known is that there are two appointments among, the commissioned officers that ape filled exv olnsively by men from the ranks—viz., that' of quartermaster —there are 345 ,of them, in the Army, with pay at the nvte of from, 9s fid to 16s, fid per day—and that of riding; master, with daily pay varying from 10s fid' to 16? fid.—‘ Chambers's Journal.’