The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-01-19
NICARACUAN CANAL.
Favorable Action on the Hepburn
Bill Expected This Session.
A SCRAMBLE FOR The CHAPLAINCIES
A Multitude of Ministers Have Applied to
BE Approximations submitted 10 Sec
Rotary Root for Reorganization of
Army STAFF Departments.

Army STAFF Departments.
Washington, Jan. 15.--Advocates of
the Nicaragua canal in congress are
expecting favorable action on the
Hepburn bill at this session. The be-
lief that the bill will be passed was
strengthened Saturday by the an
nouncement by Senator Morgan,
chairman of the senate committee on
interoceanic canals, who heretofore
advocated the construction of the ca
nal through the medium of the Mari
! time Canal company, that he was
now entirely in accord with the Hep
burn plan. The fact also came out
| that the members of the house on in
terstate and foreign commerce. in re-
| porting the Hepburn measure, not
only carried out their own convictions
concerning the advisability of the ca
nal project. but that they also fol-
| lowed the wishes of President McKin-
| ley.
1t is the intention of the committee
TO press the Hepburn bill, and the
opinion is now very generally enter
tanned that it will be promptly adopt
ed, though month or so ago it was
thought the authorization of new
commission had delayed the canal
| project for year or more. Mr.. Hep
| burn says he regards the construction
| of the Nicaragua canal by the United
| States government as the most valu-
able and effective ship subsidy that
the government could contrive To
| go to Hong Kong from New York
through the Suez canal, he says, would
cost Il 6,000-ton vessel about $4,000
| in canal tolls. The relief from this
toll and the saving of about 500 miles
by going through the Nicaragua ca
nal would he IA very valuable subsidy.
A scramble for the Chaplaincies.
Washington, Jan. 1j.-Such multi
tude # ministers have applied for
| chaplaiu'ies in the army and navy
| and thee have necessarily been Sc
many dis,ppointmeuts that numer-
| Gus complaints have reached the war
! department of discrimination on the
part of appointing authorities in favor
of this or that religious sect. An APP
| plicant for a chaplaincy recently
wrote asking if il were true that
1.-THE Catholic priests, who are now
serving as chaplains in the army and
navy, will number two to every one
of any other denomination" The
law authorizes 80 chaplains in the
army, besides four negro regimental
chaplains, and "a in the navy. Among
the army chaplains there are four
| fnth a1s ii. Al
navy there are three Catholics. Chap
lains in the army have the rank of
captain, but their pay is $500 a year.
! They are included in the provisions of
the longevity statute which allows
ten per cent increase for every addi-
| tional five years of service. so that
after 20 years they draw LIS a month.
But there is a popularity of the law
! that allows them. when retired, to
! draw the salary of a regular army
captain, retired, so thar in reality
army chaplains draw more pay when
| placed on the retired list ,uau when
! they are in active service 1t is said
at the war department TO be notice
! able that some of the cuaplains are
! retired before they reach the legal
retiring age. Many Of them are in
| cupacitatcd for service on account of
one reason or another. Mcthudists
| predominant in the chaplaius of the
navy. The n appointments are dis
| tributcd among the various churches
in the following proportions: Metho-
dists, 9; Episcopalians, >; Catholics,
3; Baptists, :; Presbyterians .: Dis
ciplcs Of Christ, /; Unitarian, 1, and
! Uniyersalist, /. srhere are four navy
chaplains. with the rank of captain,
seven with the rank Of lieutenant.
Reorganization of Army Departments.
! Washington, Jan. l5.-An official at
the war department said that the
| plans submitted to Secretary Root for
! the reorganization of The staff depart.
ments in the army contemplates the
consolidation of the commssary and
| quartermnster's departments into one
department, known as the department
of supplies. The same plan contem-
| plates the consolidation of the in
spector generals department with
the adiutant generals Office. 1t is
said this system of consolidation
would receive the support of Mr.. Hull
chairman of the military committee
Mr.. Hull strongly fayors the continu-
alton of the three battalion organiza-
ton i'm the army. He believes in a
large and permanent increase in the
artillery and will recommend an en-
tirely new organization of that arm
He is not in favor of establishing the
artillery as new department of the
staff, but advocates its organization
under one head, with a brlgadier gen
eral as chief of artillery to be on the