THE SERGEANT ON MORE PAY

Evening Star, Issue 16624, 5 January 1918, Page 4

THE SERGEANT ON MORE PAY

(By a Cadet in London 'Express.') "Blimey," said the sergeant, "'eve's another of the 'orrors of war. They're goin' to raise our pay!"- " No !" said 'lggins. "Yes," said the sergeant. "We been on this job for three years now, aji' they think we're worthy of a rise—the only sort we've 'ad 'itherto bein' the sort Fritz Bends us. If we'd been message boys or 'ad 'ad shippin' shares we'd ave 'ad arise long ago—a beautiful rise just to 'elp us to endoor this awful struggle against tho 'Un—but, bein' soldiers, we aiu t r;ot no right to rises until everybody else 'us 'ad about umpteen ,of 'em. "Wot gets me," he wont on, "is the silly way they fixes wot a soldier's to get. The chap wot runs the most risk is the chap wot gets the least pay. The poor old infantryman, up to 'is middle in muck an' water, 'e gets a shillin' a day an' 'as to provide the Guv-ment with noo barracks every six weeks out of it, but tho chap wot drives a motor transportgets six bob a day, an' ain't expected to provide 'is King an' country with a noo motor car now an' again! BEST IN THE ARMY. "An' then there's the cavalry—-look 'ow well paid they are compared, with ns. You take a chap in the Life Guards or the Blues, an' 'e gets one-an'-nmoponce a day for groomin' a 'orse, but you take a chap in the G.G.s—no, I ain't talkin' about 'orses now, I'm talkin' alxiut soldiers—Grenadier Guards, my lad!—you takeonc of them, an' 'e gets a, bob a d"ay, an'_ Vs about the smartest soldier in the British Army. I know, because I'm one, myself. In fact, if you want to know ! wot I think about that question I'll tell I you. I think the British soldier is the j best soldier in the world, and the G.G. i U the best soldier in the Army, an' I'm! 'alf inclined to think I'm the best soldier in tho G.G.s. 'Owever! "Wot they ought to do is to pay 'em | all the same, an' pay 'em 'andsome." . "'Ear, 'ear!" said 'lggins. " That's the second sensible tiling you've I said to-dny, 'lggins. If you keep "it up | you'll ba a lance-jack before yon know ; where you are. An' everybody, soldiers an' all, in war time ought to be paid the same. There's a young chap 'ere^—just come -up to join, 'avin reached tho age of 18, and 'e was gettiu' eighteen bob a day ! —a day, mind you, not a year—as a crane boy in a works in Wales, an* then 'o 'as to join np an' e' gets a bob a day. : I suppose 'e 'as gone down seventeen bob j a day in \-alue since 'e joined the Army. Which i 3 silly ! I " Pay 'em all, everybody, the same, I an' pay* em 'andsome. That's wot I say. | An' while you're about' it you can pay Ime extra 'andsome. For I'm worth it.""