Nay, I appeal to everyone with experience in these matters whether the greatest improvement is not made the first year, the second year a little less, and so on the third and fourth, till, when the fifth year comes, if improvement has not been made by that time, it never will be. [Sidenote: The first five years a constant improvement. Afterwards if there has not been improvement made before, no hope at all.] For trust-worthiness is the true efficiency of a Nurse. And it may safely be said that, if by the end of the first year she has not improved in trust-worthiness, she had better go; and if she have not almost reached her culminating point by the fifth year, she certainly will not improve afterwards. [Sidenote: Three principles in Wages.] The reasonable principle I believe to be, 1, to begin improving the wages at as early a period as possible; 2, to let them increase till the Nurse reaches her maximum of efficiency; and, 3, after that to make no more increase. [Sidenote: By rate of Wages to retain those who are efficient.] Because the object is to induce the young and efficient women to stay, not the old ones. They will stay long enough, because the old ones nobody else will take. [Sidenote: By rate of Pension to reward those who have been efficient.] The rate of pension ought, on the other hand, to increase with the number of years’ service, and continue increasing till the end. The principle of pensioning is different from that of wages. After the woman has reached her maximum of efficiency, which certainly will be not later than forty-five, probably not later than forty years of age, the inducement to stay should be the improvement of pension. This compensates for any apparent injustice in the first principle towards an old servant. [Sidenote: Civil Service an Example.] No other system appears to be founded on common sense; and it is one generally acknowledged in the Civil Service, where salaries are made to rise as soon as possible. Military Hospitals must not be made training schools for Nurses; else it would be better to admit them much younger than at the age of thirty years. [Sidenote: Opinion as to Wages and Pensions.]