Omaha daily bee., 1898-12-21
CHANCESl IN The ARMY STAFFS
Reorganization Suggestions Before House
Military Committee.
WILL Be MAJORITY AND MINORITY REPORTS
Substitute for Hull Bill VIII lie Pro-
posed Limiting Standing Army
to that Existing Before
Late War.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20.-The house com
mittee on military affairs completed con-
sideration of the army reorganization Dill
today and ordered 1t reported to the house.
Tho most important changes made today
were those fixing fifty years as the age
limit for appointment to the several stan
corps and adding a new provision for one
hundred army dentists with the rank OF
first lieutenants. Many advances in rank
were made in the staff corps. In the judge
advocate generals office the colonies were
fixed at five instad of two, as first proposed.
Provision also was made that new APP
p~ointees be given the lower places. In the
quartermaster's department the colonies
were reduced from ten to eight and the
places of lower rank increased. In the
commissary department the force Is in
creased materially from that first contem-
plated, particularly in the lower grades, the
captains being increased from twenty-seven
to thirty.
Increase in Engineers Department
There is an increase in the engineers de-
partment, the lieutenant colonies being IN
creased from eighteen to twenty and captains
reduced from ifty-seven to forty-one. IN
the ordnance department the changes are
toward the increase in officers Of higher
rank. The provision allowing $25 extra pay
for service in outlying islands was made to
include Alaska.
The age limit OF fifty, which had been
fixed for appointments to the Judge advo-
cate, quartermasters, commissary and pay
departments was amended so that the age
limit will not apply to those who served in
the civil war or the Spanish war, or to Of
ticers now IN the regular army.
a --A u
chief of the record and pension office a
brigadier general with an assistant, having
the rank Of lieutenant colonel.
Section eighteen Of the Hull bill was
struck out entirely. 1t limited the age OF
provisions OF the several acts and also
placed an age limit Of forty years on chap
lains.
In the pay corps forty-seven majors were
substituted for thirteen majors and thirty
four captains as provided in the Hull bill.
The civil appointments were opened to
those from civil life, as we'll as those from
volunteers. The number of chaplains was
increased from thirty to forty. A provision
was made that assistant surgeons shall pass
a satisfactory examination instead OF q com-
petitive examination as at present.
Vote on Reporting Bill.
The final vote on reporting the bill wa
eight to five on party lines, as follows:
Yeas-Hull. Marsh, Griffin. Ketchum, Fen
ton. Belknap. Mcdonald and Brownlow. re-
publicans, -,
Nays-salzer. Cox, Lentz, Hay and Jet,
democrats.
Mr.. Marsh, while voting for the bill, re-
served the right to oppose some Of It's fea-
lures on the floor, The minority gave notice
Of a minority report and a substitute bill.
Five days were given for the preparation
Of the majority and minority reports, Chair
man Hull making that for the majority and
Mr.. Hay drawing the sub-bill and repor,
for the democrats.
The main feature Of the sub-bill will be
a standing army limited to that existing be.
fore the recent war and authority to the
president to enlt !. large temporary force
probably so, 900 men, for service in outlying
territory.