THE QUEEN'S CORONATION GIFT. What About Tommy Atkins ?

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 184, 9 January 1904, Page 6

THE QUEEN'S CORONATION GIFT. What About Tommy Atkins ?

" Officers' wives get puddens and pies, Soldiers' wives get skilly." IT was very good of an Australian resident to give a present of money to Queen Alexandra, who-, of course, has a banking account of her own, and is not necessitous. The cable man now tells us that this gift has jxist been passed on by our good Queen, and that homes for the widows and daughters of officers are to be established with the money. This is also very satisfactory. The majority of British officers are not poor men. A poor man isn't able to subscribe to the regimental drag fund, the band or social fund, or the dozen other funds that he has to cheerfully help— or get "ragged." * * * Most officers are, of course, improvident, and have great conveniences at their disposal for dissipating their private income and their pay. They know that the Government and the country are good to officers' wives and children. But, what about Tommy ? He is killed sometimes. He has been weak enough to get married perhaps, and has a family. The wife lives m the "married patch," and to supplement Tommy 'c one and twopence or eighteenpence a day takes m washing for the officers, darns, sews, and so on. Tommy gets killed in the ordinary course of his business, and his wife goes "off the strength." Maybe, she will get some compensation if he has any length of service, and it is his own fault if he "has married secret." * * • The Army naturally makes no provision for sentimental Tommy marriages. The widow is deprived of her free quarters m the "patch," and drifts — anywhere. There is no special provision made by the War Office for looking after Tommy's widow by housing her and her children. Of couise, Tommy, as a class, isn't a marrying sort. He has to get permission to become a Benedict, and in these days of short service — three years with the colours and seven with the reserves — he generally postpones the consummation of his bliss until he is able to return to civilian life. But, the man who makes .1 life-long profession of the Army gets married and is killed as frequently as the short-service man, and his widow wants a home. It is admitted that the authorities and private people treated Tommy's widow well while British blood was tingling during "the war," but Tommy is a very unimportant personage when there is no Empire to be s>aved. 'His officer, and his officer's widow, however, are still stars in the social constellation, and the officer's pay and pension being greater, his widow and children having had greater educational advantages, might be deemed to be better able to cope with trouble when a bullet removes the "bread-winner." * * * There are institutions all over Britain solely for officers' widows and daughters There are schools for deceased officers' sons, where they may be brought up to become the social equals of then- parents, but there is certainly a lack of such institutions for the widows of the nonccm. and the private who* have sacrificed their lives for a fraction of the amount per day the officer earned. The nation is alarmed at the decad-

ence of physique noticeable in recruits, but it doesn't encourage marriage in the service. It sends regiments away to Hongkong or elsewhere, forbids the families of the men to accompany them, which is distinctly bad for the families. s* * * From a monetary point of view, while our good Queen's largeness of heart is evident in the handing over of this gift for officers' widows and daughters, who are already liberally treated, it seems to us that when people have surnlus cash to give away it would do more Food if it wa& given where it is most wanted. Tommy's wife and youngsters need it more than the widows and daughters of British officers.