Omaha daily bee., 1888-09-22
Remarkable Progress In Marksman-
ship With the Rifle.
OUR RELATIONS WITH SWEDEN.
They are at Present Rather Strained
on Account of the Tonnage Mat
ter-Cieyeland and the
Chinese Bill.
Army Marksmcn.
WASHINGTON BUREAU THE OMAHA BEE, !
BIB FOURTEENTH STREET, ,

WHICH lS Tdp!uly uCNGlOplnB III une army.
They say that it is no doubt due to the inn
proved arms in use. At the close of the war
the rife in use was found to be unreliable at
long range. The defects discovered were
noted, and from time to time efforts were
made to get desirable gun to place in the
hands of the soldiers. The rife in use now
is quite accurate in It's range and many of
the soldiers can, it is said, with the practice
they have had, kill man easily at 600 or 500
yards distance. The officers arc now intend
ing to turn the attention of the soldiers to
carbne and pistol practice. The cavalry are
trained to shoot at objects with the revolver
while at run on horseback. They will be
trained to so handle the revolver as to use it
with perfect freedom,
DIsCoURTEsY TO SWEDEN.
The continued absence of the Swedish
minister from this city as well his secretary
of legation has lead to great deal of talk in
diplomatic circles, and as the corps return to
Washington all sorts of rumors are heard as
to the reasons which have lead to the long
absence of the two gentlemen. The reason
which is generally believed is, that the
Swedish government is somewhat chagrined
on account of the action, or rather nonaction
of Secretary Bayard and Commissioner of
Navigation Morton in the matter Of the de-
mands of the Swedish government for the
lower tonnage dues. 1t will be remembered
that some months ago attention was called to
the fact that Sweden claimed that under art-
Gle OF the treaty of 1927, vessels from Scan
dinavian ports were entitled to enter into
United States ports upon payment of ton
mage dues at the rate of 3 cents
per ton instead OF at the rate
of cents per ton which is charged to them.
They base their claim upon the act of 1884
which authorizes the collection of cents per
ton from vessels halling from ports in South
and Central America and in Mexico and
upon article S of the treaty above cited.
Early last year when the Swedish minister
made the formal demand for a reduction in
tonnage dues Mr.. Bayard said that the
United States could not acquiesce in the po-
sition assumed by the Swedish government.
Then on the 9th of March in the same year
the Swedish minister sent to the secretary of
state a copy of letter from Henry Clay
written in 1928 in which the then American
secretary of state made demand for this
government precisely similar to that now
made by the Swedish government in behalf
of Swedish vessels. The Swedish king at that
time, recognizing the justice of the position of
Mr.. Clay and the force of the demand then
made, at once directed the necessary change
in the customs regulations and they were
made, and American vessels had no further
trouble III Swedish ports Although this
convincing argument in support of Swcdcn's
position was submitted to Secretary Bayard
as long ago as March, 1887, no reply has yet
been transmitted, and as a consequence it is
believed here that Sweden is determined to
allow itself to be unrepresented at the cap
itol of the United States until the answer to
the last communication is forthcoming.
CLEVELAND LUCKY AGAIN.
Grover Cleveland has been looked upon as
the nah of destiny whom good luck has fol-
lowed for so long that nothing is surprising
now which turns up in his behalf. This
morning Congressman Kilgore took the Chi
nese exclusion bill to the white house and
there was at once u great deal curiosity
manifested on all sides as just what the
president would do with the bill. At the last
moment, when republicans were chuckling
over the hole in which the president was
in on account of the prccipitancy of his
friends in the house i'll rushing the measure
through, and while democrats were feeling
gloomy because of the haste with which they
had acted, news has been received through
the American legation in China to the effect
that the convention between the United
States and China recently ratified by the
senate has been at last really and finally re-
jected by the Chinese government, so that
President Cleveland is free once more to act
as he sees tit on this bill without any un-
pleasant diplomatic question in connection
Herewith to bother HIM during its considera-
tion Both the president and the United
States have been helped out in this question
by the fortunate action OF the Chinese gov
Grnmcnt.
TRUSTS TO BE INVESTIGATED.
The senate sub committee on finance has
concluded to investigate the sugar trust thor
Oughly, and with that end in view they have
summoned MIR. Charles r.. Searlcs, sccrc-
tary of the trust, and Messrs. Havemcyer
and Harrison TO appear and testify Mr.
Searles will give his testimony tomorrow.
The committee will also begin the investiga-
tion of the copper trust next Thursday.
These Investigations are to be very thorough
and in all probability will prevent the pres
ntntt of th.a tNl Aptf Hill
senate next week.
CANADIAN LUMBER AND THE TARIFF.
There have been more demands made for
the special report on the lumber trade of
Canada by United States Consul Hotch-
kiss, located Mt Ottawa, than any that has
been made for years by n consular agent.
Mr.. Hotchkiss has had long experience in the
lumber business in the United States, and
his expressions on the subject of native and
and imported lumber are regarded as prime.
Undoubtedly the department of state over
looked the importance of this report for re-
publican campaign literature when it permit
ted the matter to be published at this time.
Much TO the surprise of everybody, il will be
remembered, MIR, Hotchkiss stated in his re-
port, which was published only two weeks
ago, that the abolition of the duty on lumber
amounting to 81 per 1000 feet, would not
make the product any cheaper for American
consumers, as the Canadian government
which controls the timber lands of the DO,
minion of Canada, was ready to raise the
price to lessees of timber lands to the exact
amount now imposed upon Canadian lumbe,
by the United States government. In other
words, he stated in plain terms that to abol
ish the duty on lumber would simply be Il
increase the value of Canadian stumpage Il
the extent of g. per 1000 feet, or to give The
Canadian government an opportunity to in
crease its stumpage tax to that extent This
could be done without violating the spirit o.
the lumber clause, which admits Canadian
lumber free only when export duties hav'
been removed.
AS soon us the contents of this repor
reached the eyes Of the Michigan and Wis
consin lumbermen they were aroused, and tel
egraphed their representatives in congress u
procure for them copies of this report. Mucl
to the surprise of these congressman, whei
they called for this report at the department
of state they were informed that the edition
was exhausted an that they could not pro
cure copies. II is not known whether the de
partment really distributed all of the specia
edition of this report, or whether as soon a
the Importance of it became known they i'm
mediatc,y ordered its suppression. At an.
rate a copy of MIR. Hotchkiss' report on tn
proposition to abolish the duty on lumbe
cannot be procured in Washington.
Nehrask md lava Pom sions