GEORGE
VOL. 0, No. 71.
PRINCE GEORGE, B.O., MARCH Oth, 1024.
FIVE CENTS.
Farmers Hold Convention in Vanderhoof
John Henderson Elected President of the Several Institutes in District "O"
K. J. Blackburn Submitted Interesting ICeport of Activities of Advisory Boa*d
The annual convention of the various farmers' Institutes in District "C" was held at Vanderhoof on Friday. The institutes in the eastern end of the district were well represented, but the:*e was no representation in the convention of any Institute west of Vandorhoof. It was suggested there had. been some miscarriage of notices calling the convention, hut in addition to this it can te assumed that the agricultural depression, result!ng from unsatisfactory prices for farm products, ha3 ch.us.ed a slackening of interest. It is admitted there has beon a marked falling off in the membership of some of the institutes, and in some quarters there is a disposition on the part of the farmers to meet the slump in prices by curtailing the output of the farms.
Dr. Stono Welcomes Delegates Dr. W. R. Stone, president of the Vanderhoof board of trade, welcomed the delegates. In doing so he said he did not wish to wecome them so much to the collection of buildings which made up the 'own, in the vicinity of the ralway depot, as to the great agrcultural district of the Ne-chako valley, of which the town was merely the center. As president of the board of trade he wished to express the gratification of the people of the district for the consideration shown them in the selection of Vandorhoof as the place for the holding cf the convention, and at the same time ho would also like to thank the members of the various farmers' in-.stiuitus iu District "C for the consideration shown in the fixing of the ere; raery for tlie district of Vandorhoof. which had given to the town the only payroll it had. Especial thanks in this connection were due to John Henderson, for the part, he had taken in the matter of deterniln-ing the site. He assured the delegates they had the best wishes of all the residents, and on the pr.rt of the members of the board of trade he could give the assurance they stood rt-ady- to assist in any way possible in bringing about such changes in agricultural conditions as might be deemed advisable by the advisory board of the province. Vanderhoof was somewhat differently situated from Prince George, which was the home center for most of the dele-Kates, in that the people of Prince (�eorge were looking for their immediate prosperity in tne development of industrial enterprisos, whereas the people of Vanderhoof counted almost entirely upon the agricultural development of the district for such Prosperity as might come to them. By reason of this situation of dependence upon the farmers, conditions "round Vanderhoof were not as bright, as they had hoped for. During the past year the district had produced some wonderful crops, but when the farmers came to sell them they found the market had gone off so much that there remained little if any profit after his costs were taken out of the selling prices. The subject of marketing was one of the matters which he thought could very profitably engage the attention of the delegates, as it was now realized that co-operation in marketing was essential to successful farming, and he felt satisfied the decisions reached' in a convention of District "C" farmers would have very far-reaching effects.
President Cocker's Address. Samuel Cocker then opened the business of the session. He said it was the fourth time he had the honor of welcoming the delegates of District "C" in convention as their president, and on the present occasion he was doubly pleased to see among them so many men who had l>een associated with him during the Past few years. He said he regretted Rome of the arrangements in connection with the holding of the convention had evidently miscarried, and ?hat as a result there were no dele-Bates present from any of the farmers' institutes west of Vanderhoof. The reason they were not present was due to insufficient notice. In a meet-ing of farmers, faced with the conditions which confronted them, he (Continued on Page 3)
Promoters of Paper Mill Are Still Waiting
Two Factors in the'Situation May
Cause Delay in Commencing
Big . Enterprise
Embargo on Export of Caiiadian Wood Pulp Would Have Important Bearing on Industry
The promoters of the pulp and paper mill do not appear to be in a hurry with the announcement of. their intention to commence work this year upon their enterprise. It was thought that following the statement of Hon. T. D. Pattullo, as the result of his interviews in Montreal, Messrs. Jones and McLean would have some statement to make as to when they expected to make a beginning, but so far nothing has been said.
The Financial Times of Montreal, in a recent issue, has a long story dealing with the $10,000,000 pulp and paper mill which it annoonces the members of the Fraser River syndicate will launch this year, but beyond furnishing the details of the agreement reachet between the minister of lands and the promoters, with respect to the 1 ulp-wood royalties, it adds little to what was already known. The statement in the Financial Times is to the effect that the promoters abandoned their position requiring a fixed royalty for 30 years on the promise of the minister that he would arrange to fix the royalty for a period of five years, and to have the royalty adjusted every five years by arbitration. That the promoters will make a start on the enterprise this year is re-asserted, but they are not definitely coupled with tho promise in any satisfactory manner.
While the physical conditions are ripe for a commencement of work upon the hydro-electric plant, there are two considerations which may work for a delay, even in the event that the promoters have completed their financial arrangements. The-first of these is the impending provincial elections. With the possibility of a change of government in sight, it is figured the promoters may be inclined to stay their hand until they know the- outcome. The other factor is the suggested embargo by the dominion government on exports of pulpwood from the United States. The placing of an embargo would have a very favorable effect upon the fortunes of a pulp mill established in the vicinity of Prince George, as it would very greatly increase the demand for Canadian pr.per in the United States, -which r.t the present time forms the most important foreign market for the output of the Canadian mills. An announcement in favor of an embargo upon expoits of wood pulp, or even a stiff duty upon such exports, would also make Canadian paper-making a much more inviting field for capital, and it might be considered' worth while waiting to see what the immediate outcome will be of the demand of the paper-makers far protection along this line.
Sir Lomer Gouin, the outstanding figure in Quebec politics and business is strong for the embargo on Canadian pulp wood, and in a number of public utterances which he has made has shown that Canada is losing millions of dollars each year that it permits its pulp wood to be exported in the raw state, in preference to having it converted into paper.
To circumvent the demand for the pulp wood embargo the federal government some time .ago appointed a commission to enquire into the effect of the placing of the embargo, although the r.nswer would appear to be very obvious. This commission has been discredited from one end of Canada to the other, by reason of the manner in which the evidence received by it has been secured, and it is not considered that its findings will have any great waicht. What is the more probably result is that the Canadian paper-makers will be able to make out so strong a case for the embargo that it will be decided upon in spite of any report the commission may make, or ns a half-measure that an export tax will go exports which will have
PREMIER OLIVER SUGGESTS
AUGUST AS. ELECTION MONTH
Premier Oliver discredits 'he suggestion that the general elections will be held immediately following the taking of the plebiscite upon beer sales. The premier suggests August as the month in which the elections will be held.
LEADER IN VANCOUVER PAYROLL ROBBERY SERVING TIME IN WASHINGTON PRISON
Police authorities believe the robbery of the Vancouver city pay-master was engineered by "Ted" Hollywood, who is now serving a four-year term in a Washington state penitentiary. It is sr.id Hollywood made a trip from Ser.t'le to Vancouver and return in a bunch. Although the r bbers h�t $76,000 in the holc-up they did not keep it very long. They paid $5000 for the launch "trip from Seattle to Vancouver and return, and Hollywood lost $35,000 in one night in a Seattle gambling joint. Hollywood and two others were arrested at Bellingham g short time after the Vancouver hold-up and pleaded guilty to the theft of an automobile, for which he received a four-year sentence. Several important robberies in U. S. cities have been trr"ecl to Holly-vood. and 'here is no liklihood of his being brought back to Canada.
Trappers Will Have Radio on the Big Salmon
"Dcafy" Dayton Takes the First
Radio Set Into the District
This Week
Dozen Men Are Having Fairly Good
Luck on Their Trap Lines
This Winter
Next week the trappers on the Big Salmon river will be listening-in to the news and musical entertainments offered by all the big broadcasting stations in Canada and the United States. This is the result of the visit to the city, this week of "Deafy" Dayton. He employed his spare time in becoming familiar with the mysteries of the radio, and in the end decided
FORT ST. JAMES PEOPLE WILL CELEBRATE OPENING OF BRIDGE ACROSS THE RIVER
The residents of Fort St. James are makiug elaborate preparations for the official opening of the bridge which has been built across the Stuart river in the vicinity of their settlement. The official opening will take place on Friday, the 14th inst. The bridge is the first structure of the kind built In the districi which has been set upon concrete foundatiins. It has two Howe-truss spans, 130 and 100 feet respectively, with pile trestle appioaches. It is the fourth bridge to be built in the district since 11*17 to replace former existing ferries".
Arthur Dixon, district engineer returned to the city on Sunday evening from Fort St. James. He says the completion if the rock approaches to the bridge is all th:t remcins to be done.
PARENT-TEACHER ASSOCIATION COMPLETES ARRANGEMENTS FOR LOCAL GYMNASIUM
oiTpulpVood p
a very discouraging effect upon this manner of dealing with the natural resources of the dominion.
The regular mooting of the Native Sons of Canada will be held in the Oddfellows hall on Monday evening at 8 o'clock.
The Prince George Parent-Teacher association io making good progress toward the establishment of a gymnasium, and classes will be started next week in different lines of gymnastics.
The store of Geo. C. Hartley, on Third avenue, formerly occupied by J. Munro Limited, has been loaned by the owner for a time, and available apparatus is being installed there. The Boy Scouts have loaned their equipment and will' make use of the gymnasium for their meetings. The Girls' Phy3icr.l Culture Class will likely meet there, and an effort will be made to form an afternoon class for younger children who cannot attend in the evening.
A managing committee consisting of Mrs. Ewert, Miss Mcllraith, Messrs Coates, Harper, Foot, Smith and Sergt. Taylor has been appointed.
Several capable instructors have offered their services and no fee is to be charged for use of the gymnasium. The association requests that all boys rnd girls wishing to join shall leave their names at Pit-
that a receiving
was all that is
needed to round out the life of the
trapper in the wastes of the Salmon. He has purchased a
Big set
which was built up by Rene Nublat, of this city, and will set it up in his camp at,the big canyon, on the Big Salmon. If he has the success with it which he feels assured ho will have, he says there will be a radio in every trapper's cabin on the Big
Trustees Cut
Estimates to Keep Down Rate
Decide They Can Get Along Without
New School and Two Extra
Teachers
Council Shifts Its Account to Bank of
Montreal and Secures a.Now
Loan
At the risk of impairing the efficiency of the city schoolB, the board of school trustees has decided to revise its estimate of expenditures for the year by eliminating the extraordinary expenditure of $7500 desired to fit up the old school building for high school purposes, and also to cut $2210 off the current expenditures by eliminating the provision for two extra teachers for the fall term, and dropping a number of minor expenditures.
Considerable pressure has been brought to bear upon the members of the school board by the city council with a view to keeping the civic expenditures within revenues, without any increase in the mill rate or the imposition of a tvx upon improvements, but the concessions have been made by the trustees under protest, as is attested by the letter of Fred C. Saunders, secretary of the school board, which was read at Monday evening's session of the city council, as follows:
"I herewith enclose estimates of
Salmon within a few months, as the boys will seize upon the opportunity the radio offers of keeping in touch with the outside world.
Dayton came out with a bunch of skins worth something over $1500. He says there are about a dozen men
trapping on the Big Salmon this win-1 the school board, revised at their ter, and most of them have done { last meeting. You will note that the foirly well. He is paired with Joe Mosike, and the other members of the company on the river include Ole Hanson. Charlie Johnson, John Bergstrom, better known as Cariboo John; Frank Horn, Charles Olson.
revision cuts off the extraordinary expenditures and reduces the amount for curent expenditure by $2210.
"This has. been done solely by reason of the state of the city's financial condition, as the board is still
Jack Miller, Fred Be/g and "One-.J of the unanimous opinion that to Finger Gus." j pive proper service to the children
He says there are no fox on the | the extra teachers should be employ-Big Salmon, but a goodly number of ed in September.
marten, fisher, beaver and mink are "The high school, as you know, is taken in the traps. A noticeable carrying on three years' work, and feature for the season has been the | therefore two teachers cannot properly give the time to the work which should be given, and it does not turn o"n the number of pupils attending the high school. To cover the work set out in the high school curriculum, for the classes for three years, ie-
increase in the number of fisher taken.
The government survey party, which is working on the timber on the Big Salmon or McGregor river, was camped at the big canyon when
Dayton came out. Ernie Burden is with the party, and he asked Dayton to bring out word that the wolves are causing much havoc with the moose �in the district, and may Impair the Big Salmon as a hunting section unless something is done to check them. Dayton admits there is a government bounty upon wolves of $15, but they are so hard to get that it does not pay the trappers to gjo after them. If the bounty were increased to $25 it might be worth while, and the country would be well served in getting rid of the wolves even at this figure.
There- are few districts in the north which have been more attractive in the past to the big game hunters than the Big Salmon or McGregor river, as it has always been a good field for moose, caribou, brown, black and grizzly bear, as well as mountain goat, and the dolly varden trout fishing is about the best that offers in the province.
Dayton is at the present time in correspondence with a party of Cali-fornians who are anxious to spend some time hunting in the district this year. The arrangements are about completed, and it is likely that a number of women will be in the party. These parties leave considerable money in the district, and it becomes of increasing importance
man's music store not later than Sat- that the wolves should not be per-urday next. mitted to kill off the game which
lures the big game hunters into the
province.
SCHOOL BOARD CIRCULAR
At the last regular meeting of the school board a resolution was passed that the following circular letter be sent to the teachers In the public school:
"The Prince George board of school trustees desire to express to
the teachers of the Prince George public school its sincere appreciation of the excellent work being done in the school. This excellence is shown in the teaching and discipline, and the fine spirit the teachers are showing in coping with the overcrowding in the school, r.nd the unfortunate necessity of th,e division of the classes.
"The board wishes to state that it has no intention of changing its policy in any way that would jeopardize the present high standing of the school and in this it has the support of the mayor and city council."
LIBERALS MAME CANDIDATE
IV ESQUIMALT RIDING
Frank Carlow, president of the Victoria Liberal association, has been chosen as Liberal candidate for the Esquimalt riding. He will make the race again3t the sitting member, R. H. Pooley.
CHARLES WILSON, K. C; DIED IN VANCOUVER ON SATURDAY
Charles Wilson, K. C, one time a mule-skinner on the Cariboo road, later a lawyer, politician, and attorney-general for the province, died at .Vancouver on Saturday. He was perhaps the most popular lawyer in the province, and he deserved his popularity
quires a staff of three teachers, and to that extent we are lowering the standard of the school in yielding to the city's present financial condition in cutting off our estimate for the extra teacher at the high school.
"In regard to th � public school, all the lower classes are at present overcrowded; and we especially call your attention to section 142 of the School Art, as to the maximum number in each class. We may be confronted with the extra attendance in September, which will lead to the education department demanding that we employ another teacher, and as you agreed at our last meeting that if the contingency arose, you would protect us in regard to that, we are now sending in our estimates, subject to that contingency, and subject to your agreemeEt to protect us as to employing another teacher in the public school, and the equipping of the board rooms at the public school for that purpose.
"We would not for one instant consent to the reduction of our estimates as to the teachers, but for the present financial condition, as we certainly do not think it leads to efficiency, and is unfair to the children in attendance."
Following the reading of the letter Alderman Patterson said he would like to express the appreciation of the council of the efforts of the school board to reduce their expenditures, and thus keep (he mill rate as low as possible. It was then moved by Alderman Taylor, seconded by Patterson, that the revised estimate be referred to the finance committee.
Free Light Banned A report was submitted from the power and light committee recommending that the free lighting service extended to civic employees be discontinued. This was assented to without much discussion. It came out, however, that the adoption of the report would leave about thirty users of current in the city without meters on their services. They are not all civic employees. The matter of furnishing the necessary meters will receive the attention of the committee.
Garden-Sprinkling Rates The recommendation of the finance committee to impose a rate for gar-
den
and lawn-sprinkling, window (Continued on page 5)