431 
MESS MANAGEMENT. 
BY 
MOAT Je Oia iin Ee © TEI vAg Ma EU. EM 2A0 22 
AN OLD MESS SECRETARY. 
As the comfort of officers depends a great deal on the Mess, and as 
also the credit of a regiment or battery depends in a way on the good 
management of the same, I have endeavoured to jot down a few hints 
on the subject that may be of use to some officers who willingly and 
often unwillingly have to undertake the offices of Mess Secretary and | Mess 
Mess President, both very thankless tasks and no sinecures at all, es- Thantloss 
pecially the post of Mess Secretary. ieee 
A Mess Secretary can get but little credit by working hard for the 
comfort of all his brother officers, however well regulated and comfort- 
able the Mess may be; but he often has to put up with a lot of chaff 
and sometimes hasty and unpleasant remarks should anything go 
wrong—especially from the younger and more thoughtless members of 
the Mess. 
For this reason I think, that if possible in a Regimental Mess, the 
Mess Secretary should hold the rank of Captain or, at least, be a very 
senior Subaltern. 
Much has been written in newspapers on the subject of Mess Mess 
expenses. A Mess should be managed to admit of the men with the °?™** 
smallest means living comfortably, especially as regards the messing. 
It depends of course entirely on members themselves as to what their 
bills amount to through wines, cigars and other extras. Personally, of 
the many officers I have known to go under from debt during my 
service, I cannot remember one ruined by his Mess bill. 
As to whether a day’s messing costs 4s. 6d. or 5s. makes but little 
difference really, only 15s. a month. 
The expenses of keeping up the Mess crockery, furniture, linen, etc. 
may come to three or four shillings a-day above the regular Mess sub- ° 
scription, for it is not fair on those who drink wine that all the extra 
Mess maintenance charges should fall on them; still no one grudges 
these few shillings a month provided the Mess premises are comfortable 
and bright, as they should be under good management. It is notice- 
able, however, that the best regiments as a rule have not expensive 
Messes, for in good regiments there is sure to be fairly good Mess 
management and a good system; a Mess being good or bad really 
chiefly depends on the C.O. of the corps; if he means to have a good 
Mess he places a man in charge on whom he can rely to see to the good 
management of it, especially if he himself be a dining member. 
9 VOL» XXIIz. 
