Lord Cranborne has agreed to remedy two grievances in the
'Indian Army. Officers left out of the Staff Corps complain that promotion is slow, and officers who paid bonuses to induce their seniors to retire consider themselves swindled by the loss both -of promotion and money. The former are to be allowed to enter the Staff Corps without examination, and the latter are to be compensated, receiving back the money they have sacri- ficed. The arrangement is liberal enough, but Lord Cranborne is tar too sanguine when Ire hopes to hear no more of agitation. The discontent of all the services in India has a deeper root than any particular grievance, as we have explained elsewhere, and he will do well to look into it. At present nine Indians in ten are perform- ing their duties perfunctorily, " hating the country," and accusing the Government of unreasonable stinginess. All the furlough, pension, and " allowance " rules want revision, the Government .in many cases paying heavily for "boom" its servants do not want, and refusing cheap privileges which they do. One year's furlough in every six, with full pay and retention of office, would console Indians more than a-ream of snippety " allowances" which are never felt.
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