The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-09-21
ARBITRATORS ASSEMBLE
Another Brief Session Of the Joint
Commission.
LUMBER INTERESTS OF CANADA.

Canadians Declare That Their Com
missioners VIII Insist Upon Free
Logs and Free Lumber or No Change
at All in tho Existing Tariff.
Quebec. Sept 21.-The international
commissioners met in joint session for
an hour yesterday afternoon and ad-
journed to meet again at 1890 a. m. to-
morrow. The adjournment over today
Is taken because of the ceremonies at
tending the unveiling of the Champlain
monument. in which the members of
the high commission are to participate.
The American commissioners met as
usual at 8 o'clock In the morning, and
again at p. m. They listened to the
arguments of Mcs5rs. Babcock Of New
York and Fallon of Ohio. who repre-
sent tta interests of the United States
inland fisheries.
Assusual. I'll the proceedings were be-
hind closed doors, but so far as the
fresh water fisheries are concerned 1t
Is understood that the Americans and
Canadians will agree with little trouble
Both sides desire the better protection
of the fresh water fish, and no doubt
this part of the proposed treaty will
readily be disposed of.
Today the interests of the United
States farmers are being heard. A
number of the border states may be
represented. but as yet the American
commissioners have heard only from
the national grange. Aaron Jones. of
South Bend, Ind, worthy master of the
grange. and Secretary John Trimble, of
Washington. D. c.. appeared before the
commissioners. It is presumed that
they will protest in general way
against the reduction or removal of the
tariff on Canadian agricultural prod
ucts, especially barley hay, oats and
potatoes.
The indications are that the Canadian
commissioners are going to take a very
determined position on the lumber
question. Hon. A. S. Hardy, premier
of Ontario, and George W. Ross minis
ter of education, arrived here yester-
day, and they represent the Ontario
government on the lumber question.
They declare unreservedly that no
concessions will be made on the part of
the Canadian government in the way
United States unless the United States
makes some concession in the way of
reducing or removing the present duty
of 50 per thousand on Canadian sawed
lumber.
Last year the ontario legislature
passed law that no logs cut on
crown lands by American lumbermen
should be taken into the United States
to be sawed into lumber in American
mills. This law was no doubt a re-
suit of the 81 duty put upon all Ca
madam lumber in the Dingley law. but
has been a disastrous law to such of the
American lumbcrmen as own large
tracts Of crown timber lands in On
tario These lulnbermen contend that
the Canadian government knew when
1t sold the lumber to the Americans
that it wns to he sawed in American
mills, and, havi"T this knowledge. the
government has no right to pass a law
of this character. But the Canadians
waive that point, and say it must be
free logs and free lumber or no change
at all.
Clark Wallace, former minister of
customs. now representing the Can
G'lSN tSSitldllbIl, also
arrived here yesterday for the purpose
of conferring with the Canadian COM
misaiCncrs. He counse!ed the Can
adian commissioners to stand by the
protective duty upon certain manufac-
tured goods sent into Canada from the
United States. Textile and manufac- |
tured iron Implements are the prn-
cipal articles upon which he urges that |
no reduction be made He says the
Canadian manufacturers are all the
time growing. and American free i'm
porta;ions would paralyZc them.
c. NJ. Hays, general manager of the
Grand Trunk Railroad company, has
been in consultation with both the
American and Canadian commission
ars. and states that there will probably
be little difficulty in settling the bond
ing question, the alien labor question
and other matters in which the rail-
roads are concerned. He says the
views of the commissioners on both
sides are along the same general lines.
Although nothing is revealed to in
lcate what progress Is being made by
he commission or what results are
probable, Senator Fairbanks, chairman
If the American delegation, gives the
assurance that the achievement so
ar is gratifying and indicative of sat
sfactory results in the end. Just how
ar they have gone In the way of adj
usting any one of the main questions.
,r what the prospects are for a general
'cciprocity treaty, the commissioners
viii not say. but repeatedly assert that
hey are trying to get tOgetner.' and
lope to succeed.