The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-21

Changes Made by the House Commit
tee on Military Affairs.


Changes Made by the House Commit
tee on Military Affairs.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20.-The House COM
mittee on military affairs completed consd-
Grafton of the army reorganization bill to-
day and ordered it reported to the House.
The most important changes made to-day
were those fixing fifty years as the age
limit for appointment to the several staff
corps and adding a new provision for one
hundred army dentists, with the rank of
first lieutenant. Many changes in rank were
made in the staff corps. In the judge advo-
cate generals Office the colonels were fixed
at five, instead of two, as first proposed.
Provision also was made that new ap-
pointees be given the lower places. In the
quartermaster's department the colonels
were reduced from ten to eight and the
places of lower rank increased. In the COM
missary department the force is increased
materially from that first contemplated,
particularly in the lower grades, the cap
tains being increased from twenty-seven to
thirty-seven. There is an increase in rank
in the engineers department, the lieutenant
coIonels being increased from fifteen to
twenty majors from twenty-five to thirty
six and captains reduced from fifty-seven to
forty-one. In the ordnance department the
changes are towards increase in officers of
higher rank. The provision allowing % per
cent. extra pay for service in outlying ISL
ands was made to include Alaska.
The age limit of fifty, which had been
fixed for appointments to the judge advo-
cate, quartermaster's 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 Off
GERS now in the regular army
A new section was inserted making the
chief of the record and pension office a
brigadier general with an assistant having
the rank of lieutenant colonel. Section Is of
the Hull bill was struck out entirely. 1t linn
tied the age of appointees as second lieu
tenants under the provisions of the several
acts and also placed an age limit of forty
years on chaplains.
In the pay corps forty-seven majors were
substituted for thirteen majors and thirty
four captains, as first provided in the Hull
bill. The signal corps appointments were
opened to those from civil life as well as
from the volunteers. The number Of chap
lains was increased from thirty to forty. A
provision was made that assistant surgeons
shall pass a satisfactory examination in
stead of competitive examination as at pres
ent.
The final vote on, reporting the bill was
to 5. on party lines, as follows: Yeas, Hull
Marsha, Griffin, Ketchum, Fenton, Belknap,
Mcdonald and Brownlow, Republicans;
Nays, Sulzer, Cox, Lentz. Hay and Jett
Democrats. Mr.. Marsh, while voting for the
bill, reserved the right to oppose some of
its features on the floor. The minority gave
notice of a minority report ard substitute
bill. Five days were given for the prepara-
tion of the majority and minority reports,
Chairman Hull making that for the major
ity and Mr. Hay drawing the substitute bill
for the Democrats The main feature of the
substitute bill will be standing army linn
tied to that existing before the recent war
and authority to the President to enlist a
large temporary force, probably $1,000 men
for service in outlying territory