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 WOMAN'S WORK 342 six months. If at the end of that time her conduct has been satisfactor}^ she will be placed on the establishment. She will thus become a unit of the nursing service of our Army. Rates of Pay Imperial military nurses are much better paid than nurses in hospitals and institu- tions. The pay of a staff nurse commences at £40 per year, rising by £2 los. per year to /;4 5. As well as her pay, she receives £^g per year for board and washing, ^^8 for imiform. £n 3s. for fuel and hght (when these are not provided), and /41 is. 3d. for her lodging (when quarters are not provided). So her total receipts for her first year may reach ^139 4s. 3d., but it is no use to look upon the last two items as a cash asset, because it is highly probable that fuel, light, and lodging will be provided for her. Thus, if these were provided, she could count upon receiving in actual cash £8y per year. Sisters in this branch of the service begin at /30 per annum, and rise by annual incre- ments of £5 to £65. They also receive pre- cisely the same allowances as staff nurses. When a sister is promoted and becomes a matron, her pay will begin at ^75, and will lise by annual increments of ^10 until £150 is reached, but her allowances will not be increased. A PRINCIPAL MATRON is paid ^175, with annual increments of ;^io to £'205, and her allowances remain as before, save that her fire, light, and lodging allowances are /^i6 4s. 3d. and ^54 13s. respectively. The matron-in-chief starts at /305 per year, and rises by ^15 annually to £350. She has for board and washing allowance ^39, for fuel and light £22 5s, lod., and for lodging ^73. In addition, a matron or sister, if in charge of 300 beds or more, is granted /30 per year ; if in charge of 200 or rnore, £2^ per year ; if in charge of 100 or more, ^15 per year. Pensions, again, are very liberal. They are calculated on the rate of pay at retire- ment as follows : After ten years' service, 30 per cent, of such rate of pay, with 2 per cent, extra for each year of service over ten, up to a maximum of 70 per cent. Women are bound to retire at the age of fifty-five. Pensions are granted after ten years' service if a nurse is rendered unfit for hospital duty through illness or injury. Holidays The matron-in-chief, principal matrons, and matrons are allowed six weeks annually, a sister five weeks, a staff nurse four weeks. All these holidays are on full pay. If a- wcynan is serving on a foreign station she can, whatever her grade, accumulate her leave, but not for a period exceeding three years. Enough now has been said to show that this is a very desirable branch of the nursing profession. It is the goal of many a nurse's ambition. It is not easy work, but there is a great deal about it that is pleasant. Girls who love travelling, and who could not other- wise indulge their fancy, have in this way facilities offered them, and a large number of gentlewomen take up this particular form of nursing because the social position of a Queen Alexandra's Imperial $urse is cer- tainly a good one. Navy Nurses The Navy has its special nurses. These, Hke Army nurses, must have served for three years in a general hospital and have taken their certificates. The age^ in the Navy, is twenty-five to forty-eight. Women who wish to serve in this branch must .apply by letter to the Admiralty Medical Department. The Navy has similar grades to the Army, but the pay differs slightly. Sisters, receive from ^30 to ;^50 per annum, with increments of £2 ; head sisters receiv-e, at Chatham, ;^40 to ;^6o : at Plymouth, ^105. to ^130: at Haslar, ;^i25 to ^160, with annual increments of £5. All are eligible for pension, and all charges for food, laundry, etc., are met by the Government. A uniform is provided. The nurses have good quarters and an excellent library. A night nursery in the Princess Christian College, Manchest