Britain at Work
A Pictorial Description of Our National Industries

EVERYDAY LIFE infantry battalion must have six, and every cavalry regiment twelve, qualified signallers, under an officer instructor ; while special subjects taught cavalry soldiers are anatomy, reconnaissance, and sketching. Lastly, where both infantry and cavalry are concerned men- tion must be made of the special instruction imparted to the machine-gun detachment, and where the infantry alone are concerned of the practice in progressive route marching during the winter. It is not realised what a good time soldiers generally have. What with his pay, rations, lodging, and clothing, the young soldier on joining receives the equivalent of 15s. a week. He gets three meals a day, viz. breakfast, consisting of a large bowl of tea or coffee, part of his day’s bread ration, with some one of the relishes obtainable from the regimental canteen at low prices ; dinner, which takes place in the middle of the day, for which he is allowed % lb. of meat and 1 lb. of bread, together with vegetables and groceries from the canteen ; and tea, which is a repetition of breakfast more or less. The regimental canteen is run on Goth- enburg principles, meaning that the profit derived from the sale of pure liquor, groceries, vegetables, tobacco, etc., is applied to the advantage of the men. The can-., teen surplus, in fact, provides the funds for the Regimental Institute, which comprises IN THE ARMY. 311 recreation rooms, comfortably fitted and supplied with papers and a lending library. The Regimental Institute, however, must not be confounded with the semi-philan- thropic clubs, known as Soldiers’ Institutes, which exist in all large garrison towns. Plenty of innocent, mirthful recreation is at the soldier’s disposal after working hours. Every facility is given him to in- dulge in football, cricket, boxing, and gymnastics ; while indoors he is encouraged to hold amateur concerts and dramatic performances. After twenty-one years’ ser- vice the soldier gets a pension as follows : Privates, gunners, etc., 8d. to is. 6d. per diem ; non - commissioned officers, from is. 3d. to 3s. 6d. per diem ; and warrant officers, from 3s. to 5s. per diem. But the soldier may rise to the rank of quarter- master or riding-master, whose pay is from 9s. to 16s. 6d. per diem, with a pension of from 8s. per diem to £z<x> per annum. Lastly, at the close of his military life,, the Government makes every effort to find him suitable employment, a quota of situa- tions being reserved for old soldiers in the postal service, Royal Arsenals, and Clothing and Ordnance Departments ; while there is the Corps of Commissionaires, and, failing any of the foregoing, the National Associa- tion for the Employment of Reserve and Discharged Soldiers will Isee that he does not go berthless. H. G. Archer. Pnoto: Argent Archer, Kensington, OUTPOST SIGNALLING.