Evening journal., 1898-09-30
QUEBEC CONFERENCE
Progress In Work Of Arbitra-
ton Commission.
LUMBER QUESTION IN CONTROVERSY
Rumorcd Concessions by America In
Seal Fishery Dispute-British CO.
1umbia Attorney General Afraid
Canada VIII BE Bunkoee.

Seal Fishery Dispute-British CO.
Iumbia Attorney General Afraid
Canada WIN Be Bunkoee
QUEBEC. Sept SO.-The joint ses-
sion of the international conference was
very brief yesterday but the subcom-
mittees were hard at work oil day.
Arrangements are now being made
for banquet to be given by the Amer
lean commissioners Oct. 6. 1t is likely
the conference will adjourn soon after
that date to meet later in Washington.
Attorney General Joseph Martin Of
British Columbia arrived here yester-
day and is urging the Canadian COM
missioners In very emphatic manner
not to make too great concessions to the
Americans in the settlement Of the va
riops questions. Mr.. Martin is the au-
thor of the famous Manitoba school
law which few years ago was so Bit
terly opposed by the Catholic people Of
the Dominion.
Mr.. Martin says the Canadians should
not surrender the British national right
to the seal fisheries in Bering sea. II
has been rumored that the American
government would purchase the ships
which the Canadian seal fishers in Be
rights to Bering sea would be given up
In return for the grant of certain Unit
ed States territory which would enable
the Canadians to have freer access to
the Yukon river and the interior Of
Alaska.
Mr.. Martin thinks no such concessions
should be made on the part of Cana
dians. He is also interested IN the ques-
ton Of reciprocal trade relations and
desires that the American duty now
imposed upon Canadian ores be re-
moved.
Mr.. Otto ]. Klotz, who has been in st.
Petersburg for several months exam!n-
ing the old maps and records relative
to the Alaskan boundaries, is now here
assisting the Canadian commissioners
upon that subject.
The lumber question is still in con-
troversy. The representatives Of the
American lumbermen are now prepar-
ing a document embodying the exact
terms Of the proposition which will be
made to the Canadian commissioners.
The principal feature of the document
is the demarcation of the grades Of
lumber which the Americans may offer
to admit at a reduced rate. During the
past "a hours some of the Canadian
lumbermen have declared that the
proposition on the part of the Amerl-
cans to admit free or at a reduced rate
the higher grades of Canadian pine for
the privilege OF having Canadian saw
logs brought in free viii not be ac-
cepted by the canadians. They say
there is no high grade pine to spare in
Canada and that the Canadians would
gain nothing by the proposed adjust
ment of the question. AS usual the
commissioners on both sides decline to
say what the true situation is.
About the only tangible fact connect
ed with the work of the commission SC
far is the certainty that no one out
side of the commissioners knows exact
ly what has been done or what the
terms of adjustment of any. one Of the
questions viii be. The Canadian news
papers print columns of speculative
matter each day, and the commission
ers say that concerning all the ques-
tions so far considered the newspaper
talk has been based upon wrong con-
clusions and unreliable information
Concerning the seal question it is safe
TO say that it is not regarded by the
American commissioners as being Of the
greatest Importance, and probably NJ
very great concessions or sacrifices or
the part of the United States Will b'
made in adjusting it.