Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-25
IOWA CUARDSMEN PROTEST
War Department Regulations Plao,
Strength Of OOmpaDie, Too High
MAKE CHANGES At DRAKE UNIVERSITY
POpulists Propose TO ReOrga anize
Their Party and Pat n Ticket in
the Field the Coming
Campaign.
(From a stan correspondentl D

(From a STAN Correspondent)
DES MONIES, Ia. March 24.-(Speeial.)- J.
II the recommendations OF the War board
as to the regulations for the national guard
companies afhliated with the regular army
are put into force by Secretary Root It will
add at least 1000 men to the four regiments
of the Iowa national guard. This will be
strenuously opposed by Adiutant General
Byers. who realizes that this high standard
is impossible Of attainment even In Iowa.
where the guard is much better treated than
In the average Of states. The War board has
recommended that the minimum OF member
ship In the guard companies shall be
sixty-hve men for infantry and cavalry.
| At present the number OF men in the COM
panies of Iowa averages about forty-fve.
| The companies are expected to be Of about
| hfty strength, and General Byers, when he
was in Washington to attend to the prelim-
inaries of the bill and assist in urging 1t
J on congress, suggested a minimum OF fifty
| for the reorganized companies But he de-
clares that sixty-fve is too high and that
| II 1t is enforced a number OF Iowa COM
panies will be forced out OF existence be-
cause they are in towns too small to main
tain companies OF that size. Then the ap-
propriatlons for the Iowa guard do not
| contemplate any such strength, and the
| appropriations would have to be increased
to meet the changed conditions. General
| Byers will protest to Secretary Root against
| the proposed minimum requirement Of
membership and ask that it be placed not
higher than fifty. In this II is probable
! that a number OF the adjutant generals Of
western states will agree. In other respects
the decisions OF the War board as to the
intent OF the new law are heartily approved
by the officials Of the Iowa national guard
The fourth election in the Fifty-fourth
regiment, comprising the companies OF
southeastern Iowa, was held last night
and returns were received sufficient to in
dicate that Captain Frank e. Wetherell OF
Oskaloosa has been elected. There were
four andidates-Wetherell Smeenk, Hay
ME and Kennedy. The first three elections
resulted in no choice. The election Of
Monday night favored the Oskaloosa man,
who is one of the most popular captains
in the regiment and has been at the head
OF the company for three years The con-
test was q friendly one all through.
Changes in Drake University.
General F. NJ. Drake Of Centerville ar
rived in the city today and attended a
meeting Of the trustees of Drake university.
The important matter attended TO was |
decision to practically ignore the ONCE of
chancellor and to elect Prof. Hill M. Bell. |
now chancellor. to be president of the uni |
versity. There will be no chancellor elected. |
but the office will be left vacant perma- |
nently. Prof. Bell has been Chancellor
only short times but has been with the |
FACULTY for number of years. He was |
acting dean and finally made acting chan
cellor and hasrhadoeontrol OF the university
the past two seasops. A humber OF other
changes in the faculty will take place. |
There will be at least three large build
ing5 put up by Drake university this year
music building, medical building and
new building for athletics.
PODuIists Are Active.
After the populist party had completely
disappeared in this state so that there was
no ticket in the field last year in the
state, there has been an effort 10 revive
the party, and a partial reorganization has
taken place. meeting was held and ].
r. Norman of Abba was made chairman
OF the state committee, with s. NJ Harvey
Of Des Moines, secretary. They will make
an EFFORT to organize in all parts OF the
state this year and may put a ticket in the
held by petition. The prohibitionists will
have to go on the state ticket this year
by petition as the vote fell SO low last
year that 1t will not now be a legal party :
SOntroct Tor Cottage Let.
The State Board of Control today let the
contract for building Hreproof cottage at
the Mitchellville Industrial school for girls
to Charles Weitz's Sons OF Des Moines, for
S16,65O. The bids were all too high for
the appropriation. but the contract was let
to not include the heating and plumbing
and the attic story will not be completed at
present. The cottage is to be Of brick and
nA ill |
TO seventy OF the smaller girls at the in
dustrial school I
New Corporations.
The Seymour Land company OF Danville
was incorporated with 81, 100 capital; Frank
Renner, presidents r. P. Cody. secretary.
The Boone Coal company OF Roone was In
corporated. with $4,000 capital; James
Grow, president: William Conway. secre-
tary. The Bailey State bank OF Corree-
tionville has increased its capital from $780,
900 to $4,000.
The consolidated statement OF the condi-
tion Of state and savings banks in Iowa
at the close Of business February 6 last.
show that the deposits in the 5S4 banks
was $i3i, ,406, ,9S0.2s: an increase of s., ,3sS,-
1886, The total capital in use in these
banks is s2l.OlO 400.
College Committee TO Meet.
meeting OF the committee OF the beard
of trustees on the college presidency at
Ames will be held tomorrow. This will
be in the ONCE Of Governor Cummins. The
will receive the committee OF
the agricultural board desirous of being
heard in behalf OF Prof Curtiss. The next
day the committee viii meet with the
entire college board at Ames. when an
effort will be made TO elect a president.