THE PRINCE OF WALES'S OPPORTUNITY.
[To THE EDITOR OF TIIF. "SPECTATOR.")
Sin,—Permit me, as a regimental officer, to wish you every success in your endeavour to bring about the Rowton system of housing for our soldiers' barrack accommodation. It would unquestionably and undoubtedly open up new strata for enlistment,—and you only understate the truth when you declare that the constant and unavoidable publicity of barrack life acts as the strongest deterrent to the very class of man we all want. All our present barracks are not, of course, equally bad; those of more modern construction evidencing that more regard is being paid to the important question of washing facilities, for example. Still, even the best of them are not quite up to the standard we should like to see. The object should be to level the recruit up to bin surroundings where he falls short, as he often must do. Further, the inadequate lighting of barrack rooms is a very real and ever-present evil. Electric lighting should easily be installed in all barracks of any size, and would be quite as economical—and easier to control—than the dear old
gas-jet, with its constant leaks, and volumes of printed - returns " as to number and size of burners, &c., so beloved by the "Barrack Department." You speak of the foul air of the barrack rooms at breakfast hour, but no doubt if you spoke from actual experience you would go even further. I fear, however, it will not be in our time that these and other radical changes will be brought about. The fog of old-fashion is too deep and thick to be lightly cleared ; however, if in- fluentially supported, something would no doubt be accom- plished in future construction. Every regimental officer would support the idea, and once in working order, the
reel-nits would flow in.—I am, Sir, &e., TWENTY-THREE. Gun Hill, near Ladysmith.
[No doubt it is always hard to move a Department of State, but if our correspondent could see the names of those who encourage the proposal to" Rowtonise" the barracks he would not despair. Many of these names cannot be published, but they belong to those who are best entitled to give an opinion. —ED. Spectator.]
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