ABSTRACT
The wives of our soldiers, as a class, are among the most suffering of the entire community. A writer in a new periodical, devoted to the interests of the British army, has drawn attention to the wretched condition of these women. It is possible, as he says, that the wives of those soldiers who have married with the consent of their commanding officers, and who are on what is termed the strength of the regiment, are properly looked after; though, to judge by a recent instance, it does not appear that the wife of even a non-commissioned officer is accustomed to any great degree of privacy. But this is certain, that the recognized wives of soldiers as well as non-commissioned officers are entitled to lodgings and rations, and the ordinary necessaries of life. But there is still a large number to whom this provision does not apply. A soldier is not forbidden to marry. It is often argued that he should be unless the consent of his commanding officer be obtained; but at present he is free to do so as he pleases, only if permission be withheld he must maintain his wife or allow her to maintain herself, without any assistance from government, which recognizes only a certain proportion of women to men in each regiment. The consequence is, that wherever troops are stationed, there are hundreds of helpless women, the lawful wives in many cases of the soldiers, with little or no means of livelihood, and driven in consequence to the worst courses in order to procure a scanty subsistence. In the back slums, in fact, of any garrison town in England it may be safely calculated that one-half of the class of “unfortunates” are the wives or widows of soldiers, driven by destitution to their degraded mode of life. It may be said that a soldier should not marry unless he obtains his colonel's consent. But the precept, besides being a harsh one, would, if carried out, be far from remedying the evil. It is doubtful, indeed, whether it would not increase the evil. A woman married to a soldier who cannot support her is more likely to be respectable and obtain work than if she formed another kind of connection with him; and the alternative must be accepted as a greater or less necessity. The question, therefore, becomes one which must not be ignored. What is wanted is, that employment be found for these women; and it seems only reasonable to suppose that it could be found by the government if the principle of providing it was once admitted. In India, where the difficulty is not felt to the same extent, as most of the soldiers who have not wives appear content with native substitutes, it has still been found desirable to provide employment for the “barrack women,” and towards this end, it seems, “female workshops” have already been established in several regiments. In Her Majesty’s 69th Regiment at Madras an institution of the kind is maintained with great success; and Brigadier General Grant, commanding the Hyderabad subsidiary force, has tried the experiment on a more extended scale. So successful has he found their operation, according to a Madras journal, not only in a moral but a pecuniary manner, that he has addressed the authorities on the subject; and in applying for stores to carry on the existing establishments he has suggested that the measure be introduced into all European corps. It is added that the local authorities have refused to comply with the brigadier's request, which may not, therefore, reach headquarters through an official channel. It is to be hoped, however, that by other means the suggestion may be made known, as it could not fail to, at any rate, materially mitigate the evil to which we have adverted. There is no reason why clothing for the army, and many other kinds of work now farmed out to contractors, should not be executed by this agency. Were the system to be adopted it would be found that a greater number of women could be admitted upon the strength of the regiment, and that there would still remain employment for those who were kept without the pale. A workshop might also be erected for every depôt battalion, and in this manner occupation found for thousands of wretched women for whom the government are morally, if not legally, responsible. The performance of the labour in clean and properly ventilated places would also be a guarantee against disease, too frequently brought upon soldiers' clothing from the miserable dens where it is frequently made; while a proper supervision would not only secure order among the workers, but a more efficient kind of work. The change, in fact, would be a benefit to all concerned—to the soldier, the soldier’s wife, the government, and the public.
