§ MR. O'DONNELLasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether he is aware that the officers of the Army Hospital Corps, more than fifty in number, who have enjoyed the rank of Captains and Lieutenants down to the present, consider themselves to be cruelly wronged by the proposal to reduce them to the position of Hospital Quartermasters under the new Organisation scheme; and, whether he will consider the case of this body of most deserving officers, 1135 who have all earned and obtained their promotion by merit?
§ MR. CHILDERSSir, the hon. Member for Dungarvan cannot have been in the House when I answered a similar Question on Thursday last. He is in error in supposing that the rank of captain has been taken from these officers. On the contrary, what was relative rank has now become honorary rank, which, as I before stated, is really better, so far as their social and military status is concerned. As to the "cruel wrong" done to these officers, I do not suppose that any one of them would prefer his former title, rank, pay, and pension to what the Warrant gives him. I have no intention whatever to alter the Warrant in this respect.