§ MR. O'BEIRNEasked the Secretary of State for War, If he would consider the advisability of placing officers of Cavalry on the same conditions as officers of the Field Artillery for selecting chargers from the remounts, having regard to the fact that owing to the heavy expenditure imposed upon officers of Cavalry in purchasing chargers, sufficient candidates cannot be induced to enter this branch of the service, and for several months past nineteen regiments out of twenty-two on home service being short of their complement of officers?
MR. GATHORNE HARDYOfficers of Field Artillery receive only dismounted pay and are mounted on troop horses, which do not become their own property. Officers of Cavalry and Horse Artillery, who receive a higher rate of pay to cover expenses of their chargers, have certain privileges given them as to 1450 selecting horses from the ranks at moderate prices. If the Cavalry officers are to be placed on the same footing as the Field Artillery, as the hon. Member suggests, they would have—first, to be reduced to Infantry rates of pay, and, secondly, they would have to ride troop horses not their own property. This would certainly, I think, be unpopular. I have only to add that there are no vacancies in Cavalry regiments except those kept open for sub-lieutenants still under garrison instruction.