The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-10
NAVAL HERO HONORED.


WASHINGTON, Feb. 9. Rear Ad-
miral Frederick c. McNair, who has re-
Gently been on sick leave, has. on account
of continued i'll health, asked to be detached
from the superintendency of the Naval
Academy, of Annapolis. and be given sick
leave for an extended period and his re-
quest has been granted by the Navy De-
partment. Secretary Long says the illness
of Admiral McNair is much regretted by
the Navy Department. where his admins
tration of the affairs of the Naval Academy
has been highly appreciated. Amiral Nc
Nair is the ranking rear admiral OF the
navy, being second only to Admiral Dewey.
and has had long and honorable career
extending over period OF forty-two years,
of which nearly twenty-one were passed at
sea. He has been on duty at the Naval
Academy since July, 1898. The President
has designated Commander Richard VAIN
wright to succeed Admiral McNair as su-
perintendent of the Naval Academy. This
is great compliment to an officer OF his
rank and years, and is due to his excep-
tional ability and the signal services rem
dered by him during the Spanish-American
war while in command of the auxiliary
cruiser Gloucester.
The commissioner of internal revenue has
reconsidered the question of taxation on
rent notes and now holds that when these
notes pass from the lessee to the lessor
they are not taxable under the paragraph
in Schedule A, relating to leases. If these
rent notes are payable in merchandise they
are not taxable in any particular, but when
payable in money they are taxable only at
the rate of cents for every 800 or frac-
tional part thereof of face value. The COM
missioner holds that in order to impose
taxation a document under the para
graph relating to leases, it must be one
that passes from the lessor or his agent to
the lessee or his agent. In the case of rent
notes this does not occur.
The commissioner has also held in effect
that imitation fruit juices" made of acids
and sweetening and favored to resemble
fruit juice, don't come under the internal
revenue laws. if they do not contain any
noticeable percentage of alcohol If, how
ever, they are found to contain a percepti-
BILE quantity of alcohol. whether this is
present through fermentation or the addition
of spirits or other alcoholic liquor (wine),
dealers therein involve themselves in spe-
cial tax liability as liquor dealers.
The navy is short of enlisted men and
also officers, and it is probable Congress
will be strongly urged to act as to the lat
ter deficiency. AS for the former, although
the shortage is about 1000 men, there is al
ready congressional authorization for the
employment of more and all that is lacking
is volunteers. But as for the officers, with
A.
sion and the additions being steadily made
to the navy 1t is no longer possible to give
them the tours of shore service to which
they are entitled. 1t is believed the admin
istration will make an effort to have the
class of cadets at Annapolis increased by
about one hundred providing for the dis
tribution of the new appointments among
the members of the Senate.
The Cabinet had a short session to-day in
General Lawton. The principal subject of
discussion was the situation in Hawaii. 1t
was pointed out that the necessities of the
case required the destruction of a large
number of cabins in the poorer sections of
the city of Honolulu, and that in conse-
quence many of the natives are homeless
and in a destitute condition. Apparently
there is no executive authority to meet the
situation by the appropriation of funds for
the relief OF those in distress. and it is un-
derstood to be the purpose of the President
to communicate the facts to Congress with
the request for authority to reconvene the
old Legislature or to establish a commits
sion with power to do whatever Is neces-
sary at this time.
The small speck of trouble that existed
in the relations between the United States
and Nicaragua, owing to the extortion Of
double duties from American merchants I'm
Bluefields last summer by General Torres,
has been removed. The United States gov
ernment protested at the time and the
Nicaraguan government placed the money
collected as excess duties by its agents In
the hands of the British consul at Blue
fields, pending a determination of its rights
in the matter. 1t is understood the Mica
raguan judiciary, to which me matter was
submitted, has now reached the conclu-
sion that in this particular instance the
money should be returned to the mer-
chants.
The investigation of charges as to the
pointees was practically concluded to-day
by the House committee on postofices and
post roads. A letter was received from the
United States district attorney at Salt
Lake City stating that an indictment had
been found against one of the prominent
appointees, but doubt was expressed as to
whether the evidence to sustain the indict-
ment would be brought within the statute
of limitations. A subcommittee was ap-
pointed to draft the report, which will
later be submitted to the full committee.
1t will be mainly recital OF the facts de-
veloped at the hearings concerning the pro-
tests made and the legal proceedings
against the parties.
The Prairie sailed to-day from Baltimore
for Newcastle, England. with the crew
for the cruiser Albany and government ex-
hibits for the Paris exposition.
President Mckinley has been notified OF
his election as an honorary member of CO.
lumbia Lodge of Master Masons of London.
CONTINUED ON SECOND PAGE.)