An Officer's Allowances
The principle applied in the new scale of allowances for married officers announced by the three Service Ministries last Tuesday is sound, but even now provision does not err on the side of generosity. It is certainly right to get rid of the dis- tinction between married officers under thirty and those over thirty so far as concerns their claim for separation allowances for wife and children. The former have been -receiving only 3s. a day in respect of a wife, the latter 6s.—an arrangement in which there is no sense in the war-time Services. The new rates provide a flat rate of 4s. a day in respect of a wife, 6s, a day for a wife and one child, with increases for more children. and this irrespective of rank or age. This is anomalous. If 6s. a day for a wife was deemed necessary for an over-thirty officer under the old code, it is not obvious why 4s. should be deemed adequate under the new. The situation would be considerably eased if the messing expenses which officers are required to incur were reduced. At present this is a matter for commanding officers, and the expenses vary from unit to unit. Strict orders should be issued enjoining the duty of observing all possible economies in messes. It is satisfactory to learn from Captain Margesson's statement in the House on Tuesday that he is giving attention to the question.
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