The Portland daily press., 1897-11-09
10 GO OVER GROUND
Of Complications Between United
States and Canada.
THIS OBJECT OF PREMIER LAURI.
ER'S VISIT TO WASHINGTON.

| W '~CSS~C .
culties in Lump-The Fishing. Seal
ing, Immigration and Klondike Ques-
tions All To BE Taken Up.
Washington, November S.-The author
titles here have been advised that the ar
rival tomorrow of Sir Wilfrid Laurier,
prem er of Canada, Sir Louis Davis, min
ister of marine in the Laurier cabinet, and
other officials of the Dominion Is to have
an important bearing not only on the
Behring sea settlement but on all the pen
ding questions which have been sources
OF international complications between
the United States and Canada, namely
the passage of alien laborers to and from
Canada, the north Atlantic fisheries
question, the presence of many Ameri-
cans in the Klondike territory belonging
to Canada, and in the mining regions
of British Columbia, the fisheries trouble
along the Great Lakes, the bonding pri-
vileges granted Canadian railroads. the
controversy over rights in the Fraser
river, British Columbia and the Puget
Sound and also the question of recipro-
city arrangement between the United
States and Canada. There is direct and
definite information that Sir Wi1frid
comes prepared TO take up all these ques-
tions and if possible include them in one
general settlement whereby the constant
friction they have engendered may be
overcome. On some of these subjects he
will confer with President Mckinley and
on at least one of them, that Of alien
laborers crossing the border he will sug.
gest such mutual notifications of present
restrictions as in his optpion will be of
material advantage to the thousands of
Americans now in the AIondike and Brit
ish Columbi mining country and at
the same time be of advantage to Canada
along the eastern border. The essential
features of Sir WtIfrid's mission were
communicated to the officials here by per-
sons fully competent to know of the
premier's plans and 1t can be said that
the suggestion that the decks be cleared
Of existing disputes between Canada and
the United States met with favor with
the administration.
While the Behring sea settlement occa-
stoned the visit of the Canadian premier,
the Canadian authorities attach much
less Importance than they do to the other
questions mentioned They say that the
T Canadian sealing interests is confined al
most entirely TO the Iar western territory
where the sealers tit out and that even
| considerable percentage of the so-called
Canadian sealers hail from Seattle, San
francisco and other American ports who
fit out in Canadian ports under the Brit
ish flag. What basis of settlement can
be reached Is not disclosed, but little
doubt Is 1elt it is stated by the Canadians
that an amioable adjustment can be OBJ
tained.
Among the plans suggested is that of
an indemnity largo enough to permit
Canada to buy out the sealers and retire
| them from the business. With this done
the United States, Canada, Russia, Japan
and Great Britain would be together in
the suppression of pelagic sealing. There
is no determination, however, to advance
| this plan in preference to the others, and
| the scope of the settlement will remain
| in doubt until the negotiations are
opened Sir Wilfrid and his associates
will urge strongly that the border immi-
grafton question be settled and on this
point will confer with the President. Un-
| der the premisrs S direction the Canadian
parliament passed an alien immigration
| law last spring by which American con-
tractors and American labor were barred
from competing on the work on the
Crows Nest Pass railroad, a government
undertaking III WcsteTu Cdudlld. Ou tIb
other hand it is claimed by the Canadians
that about 5000 are in the Klondike ter
ritory belonging to Canada and that
| fully 1000 American contract laborers
are working in the IN ines of British Co
| lumbia. The United States immigration
laws, it is asserted. are administered
with harshness along the Canadian bor-
der and are daily source of irritation.
Sir Wilfrid will suggest that the cause
| - 40 ior, l,a1 1QrpnUpd OY1h both ciGps
and it is understood that he is prepared
to offer repeal OF the Canadian restric,
| tions in the Klondike and other regions
| if the administration of the American
law is made more lenient.
! In this connection also the cooperation
of the United States Is desired in plans
of the Canadian authorities to make al
easy route to the Klondike. The proposed
route is by boat from Fort Wrangle to the
| Stickene river which is in the territory
belonging to the United States and uI
the Stickene via Tasland lake to the
Yukon river and thence to the gold fields.
AS the Stickene river is on American ter
ritory 1t is desired to overcome any posi-
BILE controversy, although the treaty of
Washington is said to make the naviga'
tion of the river free to the Canadians
and Americans alike. The need of this
short route under the patronage of the
Dominion is felt by the Canadian premier
to be imperative in view of the informa'
tion reaching them that $4,000 Austria
lians will come to the Zlondike in the
spring. A total of 50, 900 colonists are ex'
pected to be headed that way.
On the matter of reciprocity, the gen
eral purpose of the negotiations will be tc
| give the United States the benefit of the
minimum clause of the present Canadian
law In exchange for the 20 per cent re-
duction allowed under the Dingley bill
The desire of Sir Wilfrid and his associ-
ates will be to confine the arrangements
to a few important articles allowing time