+---------------+-------------------------+------------------------+ | Ranks |Establishment before 1881|Establishment after 1881| +---------------+-------------------------+------------------------+ |Lieut.-Colonels| 2 } | 4 } | |Majors | 4 } 6 | 8 } 12 | |Captains | 20 } | 14 } | |Lieutenants | 32 } 52 | 30 } 44 | +---------------+-------------------------+------------------------+ |Total | 58 | 56 | +---------------+-------------------------+------------------------+ By the old plan the number of field officers to juniors was, as will be seen, 6 to 52--or 1 to 8-2/3. By the new one it became 12 to 44 or 1 to 3-2/3. It will be evident at once that the prospects of the juniors as regards promotion were greatly improved, and it had the additional merit of being more economical as regards pensions, and further, as it is held by many that the new organisation is more efficient for war, it would appear to have everything in its favour. Unfortunately, owing to diversities of opinion, although the ranks were thus re-arranged, the battalions have never been divided into double companies; so that the most important part of the scheme has not been completed and remains untried. Indeed, the tendency during the last few years has been of a retrograde nature. In my opinion, the proportion of the ranks should be rigidly enforced so as to reduce the juniors to a minimum in time of peace, as being better in the interests of the officers, more in accordance with the requirements of modern warfare, and more economical to the State. The following figures giving the proportion of senior officers to juniors in the army in 1884 and 1894 respectively, will illustrate my argument, and will afford proof that the changes made three or four years ago have injuriously affected the prospects of young officers in respect to promotion. +------------------------------------+-------+-------+ | -- | 1884 | 1894 | +------------------------------------+-------+-------+ |Number of General and Field Officers| 2,586 | 2,128 | |Number of Captains and Lieutenants | 5,601 | 6,723 | +------------------------------------+-------+-------+ | -- | 8,187 | 8,851 | +------------------------------------+-------+-------+