Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1900-01-18
NICARACUAN CANAL.
Favorable Action on the Hepburn
Bill Expected This Session.
A SCRAMBLE FOR THE CHAPLAINCIES
A Multitude of Ministers Have Applied to
BE Appointed-Plans submitted to Sec
Rotary Root for Reorganization of
Army STAR Departments.

E0Ctsry ROOT IOr EAnIZ6LkOn OF
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
pouncement 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.
It 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 a month or so ago it was
thought the authorization of new
commission had delayed the canal
project for a year or more. Mr.. Hep
burn says he regards the construction
of the Nicaragua canal by the United
States government as the most vaIu-
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 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 be very valuable subsidy.
Scramble for the ChapIaincies.
Washington, Jan. 15.-Such multi
tude of ministers have applied for
chaplaincies in the army and navy
and there have necessarily been so
many disappointments 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 ap-
plicant for a chaplaincy recently
wrote asking if it were true that
''the Catholic priests, who are now
serving as chapIains in the army and
Will hu1hOS1 GWO 10 every OI1C
of any other denomination" The
law authorizes 80 chapIains in the
army, besides four negro regimental
chaplains, and "a in the navy. Among
the army chaplains there are four
Catholics; among the chaplains of the
navy there are three Catholics. Chap
lains in the army have the rank of
captain, but their pay is 81, 800 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 Y175 month.
But there is a popularity of the law
that allows them, when retired. to
draw the salary of regular army
captain, retired, so that in reality
army chaplains draw more pay when
placed on the retired list tnan when
they are in active service. It is said
at the war department to be notice
able that some of the chaplains are
retired before they reach the legal
retiring age. Many of them are in
capacitated for service on account of
one reason or another. MethodistS
predominant in the chaplains of the
navy. The "a appointments are dis
tributed among the various churches
in the following proportions: Metho
dists, 9; Episcopa1ians, 5; Catholics,
3; Baptists, 2; Presbyterians, 2: Dis
ciples of Christ, /; Unitarian, 1, and
Universalist, J. There are four navy
chapIains, with the rank of captain,
seven with the rank of lieutenant.
Reorganization of Army Departments.
Washington, Jan. 15.-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 commissary and
quartermaster' 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 adjutant generals office. It is
said this system of consolidation
would receive the support of Mr.. Hull,
chairman of the military committee
Mr.. Hull strongly favors the continu-
alton of the three battalion organiza-
ton in 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 a new department of the
staff, but advocates its organization
under one head, with a brigadier gen
eral as chief of artillery to be on the
staff of the major general command
ing the army. The advocates of the
consolidation of the staff departments
are not favoring the immediate adop-
ton of this system, but believe that
the change should be made gradually.
Killed by a Delayed Blast.
Butte, Mont, Jan. 15.-Joe Nell
l.