The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-15
Supervising Architect Now Engaged
in Preparing Plans and Draw
ings for the Structure.
NATIONAL BANK EXAMINER
w. ID. FRAZER, OF WARSAW, AP-
POINTED FOR INDIANA.
statement from Acting Director Of the
Census Wines That Will Interest
People Who are Seeking Places.
pecial to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, March 14.-Ohicials of the
supervising architects office have just dis
covered that the act authorizing the con-
struction of a new public building at In
dianapolis is very loosely drawn. While
upon the surface it would appear that the
amount of money which may be expended
on this great public Improvement is limited
TO $1,500,000. close scrutiny Of the last para
graph of the act disclosed the fact 10 the
keen law officers of the department that
the limit is practically taken off altogether.
A close construction in reality places no
limit on the power of the secretary of the
treasury but, of course, he will undoubted-
ly construe the law in accordance with its
evident intent and not from the actual
wording of the act as passed. The architect
of the treasury is now engaged in preparing
plans and drawings to carry out the pro-
visions of the law relative to the new public
building. Congress provided an appropria-
ton of $3.50, 600 to be Immediately available.
Controller Of Currency Dawes to-day ap-
pointed William ID. Frazer, of Warsaw, ma
Jional bank examiner for Indiana. Mr..
Frazer is a lawyer by profession, but has
had considerable experience in practical
banking. He has been d member of the
Legislature and for years has been prom
inently identified with state and national
affairs. He is at present chairman of the
Kosciusko county Republican central COM
mittee.
Capt. A. S. Helms, of Edinburg, who has
been appointed to position in the military
postal service in Porto Rico, called at the
Postofflce Department to-day to receive his
final instructions. He left tonight for New
York and will sail for Porto Rico on Thurs
day.
James n. Tyner, assistant attorney gen.
eral for the Postoffice Department, and Mrs.
Tyner have left for Magnolia Springs, Fla.
Judge Tyrer is recovering from severe at
tack of the grip.
Judge Advocate General Lamly is engaged
in constituting some interesting points con-
nected with the new naval personnel act.
The last question to come up for decision
was the standing of several engineer officers
who have been transferred 10 the line, and
the special case presented as a test was that
of Chief Engineer George Ii. kearney. The
personnel act provides that an engineer offl-
Ger with the relative rank or commander
shall take place on the rolls according TO
the dates they receive their commission. a
second provision looks TO placing such Off
GERS on the list directly after the line officer
with whom they graduated from the Naval
Academy There was an apparent conflict
which was not anticipated when the per-
sonnel bill was drawn last spring, for ii
was supposed that no graduate of the Ma
val Academy in the engineer department
could attain the rank of commander before
the act passed. This was an error, as four
officers-Kearney, Moore, Stevenson and
Rea-all went up owing TO the collapse of an
unusual number of officers during war serv-
ice. The question being submitted to the
judge advocate general to what stand
ing Kearney should have, he has decided
that he snail take his place as a commander
under the first provision, instead of as
Lieutenant commander under the second.
The result of this decision is that Kearney
is advanced about thirty numbers.
In June 1898, the house of DR.. 3. Wishard,
of the American mission in the Shimrans
Persia, was forcibly entered and robbed of
personal effects TO the value of 200 tomans.
The burglary was committed i'm the face Of
the usual guard of soldiers and there was
reasonable ground to believe that the lat
ter were cognizant or concerned in the af-
fair. Our minister took prompt steps TO
detect and cause the arrest of the perpe-
traitors of the outrage, but without success.
Later he pressed for an indemnity of 20a
tomans and has succeeded in settling the
claim for that amount
The German ambassador has informed the
Department of State that the German CEN
trail committee for the erection of hospitals
for persons with diseased lungs has resolved
to convoke a congress for the prevention
and cure of tuberculosis. The congress will
convene at Berlin on the 2ith of May 1s99
and continue its sessions to include the 9th
of that month. 1t is to be under the pa
tronage of her Majesty, the Empress the
chancellor OF the empire to be honorary
president. The meetings of the congress
will probably be held in the building occu-
pied by the Reichstag:
Mr.. Dawes. the controller of the currency
has fixed the following terms for the assess
ment OF 100 per cent. against the sharehod-
ers of the National Bank of Illinois: The
assessment bears interest at legal rate aft
er April a. but the receiver, Hon. John
McNulta, has been authorized to grant an
extension OF time, without interest, 10
shareholders who pay one-sixth of the as
sessment at or before its maturity and who
give a satisfactory guaranty TO pay one
sixth additional each month thereafter until
the full amount of the assessment is paid.
The Navy Department is ready TO take
whatever steps may be necessary in carry
ing out the provisions of the naval bill for
the purchase OF smokeless powder during
the coming year. IL is not intended 10 an
tagonize the commercial interests involved
in this line OF manufacture by throwing the
whole burden OF production upon the gov
ernment plants The government has a
plant at Indian Head. which, when complete