H.—26.

3

The superior places open to men are, — In the service afloat—Leading seamen, about 1,230; 2nd class petty officers, about 1,300; Ist class petty officers, about 2,825 ; chief petty officers, about 390; chief gunners, chief boatswains, and warrant officers, 810. In the coastguard—Commissioned boatmen, about 1,350; chief boatmen, 311 ; chief boatmen, in charge, 274 ; chief officers, 227 ; besides about 1,660 places as boatmen. Leave is granted without deduction from pay, both whilst at home and after foreign service. In the latter case a long period of leave (as much as six or eight weeks) can be obtained. ments are made to give every one his turn of home service. Medical attendance and medicine are given free of charge; in cases requiring it, treatment in a naval hospital is allowed, full pay being continued for three months, with a slight deduction after the first thirty days. An appointment to the coastguard can be obtained after about nine years' man's service in the navy, or at the age of twenty-seven. The remuneration in money is rather lower than in the navy, but the men live almost all the year on shore, and are provided with houses for themselves and families; they receive pensions, on completing the necessary service, on the navy scale, but need not retire till the age of fifty. Teansmission op Money to Eelations and Fbiends. Great facilities are given for [allotting or] remitting money to the families and friends ; besides this, savings-banks are established on board Her Majesty's ships, and at Sheerness, Portsmouth, and Devonport Dockyards, in which interest on deposits is paid by the Government. Pensions. Every seaman of good character, if physically fit, can, if he chooses to do so, remain in the naval service or coastguard (thus being continuously employed) till the age of fifty. He can, however, obtain a pension at an earlier age. Good service for twenty-two years from the age of eighteen entitles a man to this allowance; the amount of the pension varies, according to the conduct and the position filled, from £18 upwards. The average pension for men of all ranks is £31 a year. A petty officer can obtain up to about £54 a year, with twenty-two years' service, and a good deal more if he remains to the age of fifty. Men whose conduct has been thoroughly satisfactory are eligible for good-conduct gratuities on discharge, up to £15. Men whose health fails before completion of their time can obtain pensions or gratuities. These depend partly on service and conduct, partly on the nature of the disability. Special consideration is given where the disability is caused by injury sustained on duty, or climatic disease. £22,000 a year is given from the funds of the Greenwich Hospital to augment small naval pensions, and to assist men in bad health who have been invalided after short service, or who are in possession of a war medal. £76,000 a year is employed to grant to eligible pensioners additional pensions of sd. and 9d. a day on reaching the age of fifty-five years and upwards. Warrant officers and chief gunners and boatswains are pensioned on a higher scale; £150 a year is the maximum attainable by a chief gunner or chief boatswain; £120 a year by a warrant officer. In addition to the ordinary pensions for service there are Greenwich Hospital pensions of £35 a year for chief gunners and boatswains, and of £25 a year for warrant officers. Allowances to Widows and Childken. The widows of warrant officers and chief gunners and boatswains receive pensions of £25 and £30 a year, and higher rates if their husbands have been killed or drowned on duty. The children of the above-mentioned receive compassionate allowances of £8 to £10 if their father is killed in action or died of wounds, and £6 to £8 if drowned or dying from extraordinary exposure. If men are killed or drowned on duty, or die from the effects of injuries or diseases clearly caused by accident, extraordinary exposure, or exertion on service, within twelve months after being first certified to be ill, their widows and orphans receive assistance from Greenwich Hospital funds. The scale of allowance is,— Widows' Pension per Week, Allowance for each Child Bank. dependent on Age and other ! dependent on the Mother, Circumstances. per Week. i s. d. s. d. s. d. 1. Able seamen ... ... ... 3 6 to 4 6 16 2. Second-class petty officers ... ... 40 to 50 16 3. First-class petty officers ... ... 46 to 60 20 4. Chief petty officers ... ... ... 5 0 to 6 6 2 0 Bates in excess of the foregoing scale may, at the discretion of the Admiralty, be awarded in cases needing special relief. When men do not leave widows or children, gratuities not exceeding one year's full wages may be given at the discretion of the Admiralty to parents or other relatives dependent on such men. A school for the support and instruction of 1,000 sons of seamen and marines is maintained at Greenwich, and education is also provided for 200 orphan daughters of seamen and marines, and a similar number of total orphan sons are placed out in schools selected by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. Thus, a man may feel that, if he loses his life in the service of the State, his widow and children will be provided for.