VOL 11, No. 14,
PRINCE^GEORGE CITIZEN THURSDAY," March .15, 1928.
Five Cents.
4
Four Million Voted to" Gomplete the P. G. E.
Bill To Provide Money To Bring Railway Into Prince George Is Passed In Legislature Tuesday Night
Solid Vote of Conservative Members Was Thrown Against Plan To BuUd If Pending Sale Fails.
Victoria. March 14.�The bill to provide the sum of N$4�O0O,0O0 for the completion of the P. G. E. railway from Quesnel to Prince George, and to bridge the gap in the line between Squamish and Vancouver, was given its second reading in th house at six o'clock last night on a division of twenty-five to seventeen. The members of the Conservative opposition opposed the second reading f the bill as a party measure, but the Labor members voted with the- government.
The concensus of opinion, aside from political considerations, is that there is every probability Premier -tMaeLean will effect a sale of the railway line, but all details with respect to the pending sale have been closely guarded that even the identity of the prospective purchaser is withheld. The opinion prevails that in the passage 'of the four million dollar loan bill the government has re-ached at least a'temporary" solution of the P) G. E. difficulties as the major issue .of a midsummer election. � It is ho.t believed four million dollars will cover the cost of the necessary work, but opinion prevails that failing to effect a sale the government wiil go forward with construction as funds are -available, and come back to the legislature for such additional amounts as may be necessjary to complete the work. It all depends upon what is done what the cost will b'e. Estimates for the proposed extensions, and the bringing of the. system's equipment up to standard deemed by some to be essential for the handling of. through traffic from the Peace River district, .or for the handling - of . traffic originating on either of the two transcontinental lines vary greatly. It may be- possible to bring the steel into Prince George and intp Vancouver for the amount set out in the present loah bill, but ultimate expenditures on the line are set by some as high as sixteen million dollars.
The bill was put through its final stages at last night's session when Premier MacLean. gave the house his assurance that the major portion of the money appropriated will be expended o'n new construction if the sale which he has pending is not brought to a satisfactory conclusion.
While the whole weight of the Conservative opposition was thrown against the passage of the bill to provide funds for the completion of the railway to Prince Geoi'ge and Vancouver most of the members who participated in the debate on the second reading labored to create the impression, they,.were not opposed to the completion of the railwav itd ordained terminals at Prince George and Vancouver, or to a sale of, the railway to the Canadian National, or to any solid private corporation purchaser. They complained of the indefiniteness of the government's measure and to what they termed the suspicion challenging delay in bringing the bill down in the dying hours of the session. They , took exception to the lack of any fixation of time for the beginning and completion of the work, and t� the licence given to the government by the bill in controlling the expenditure of the moneys proposed to be granted.   I
In crystallizing theij objections to according unanimity of endorsement of the new chapter in Pacific Great Eastern history, the Conservative opposition pointed out that the government apparently knew just as much as to its plans at the opening of the sessiofci ias at .'its . close, and might properly have offered its measure in time for its consideration with businesslike care, commensurate with its importance.' Much was made of the circumstances that during the past twelve years a succession of such measures, each with a definite promise that completion to Prince George and Vancouver was assured, had been submitted to the legislature. The objection was also stressed, that the bill lacked la desirable specific quality in failing to provide that ? the four million dollars prop.osed to b'e voted should be used for legitimate construction purposes, but merely set forth that the amount should be available at the executive's command  for construction ana recondi-
tioning, equipment or operation. The position was also taken by the Conservative speakers that before anything was done in the way of further . expenditures upon capital account in connection with the railway there should be a reconnaissance survey, aerial or otherwise, to approximately determine the traffic possibilities of the Country to be traversed as represented in its agricultural lands, timber and mineral resources.   .
Premier MacLean and Attorney-General Manson carried the burden of the debate on behalf of the administration. They assured the ! members of the house that'negotia-! tions were still pending for a sale j of the railway, the details of which were necessarily withheld from moi-tives of business strategy, and that it was hoped to consummate a satisfactory bargain with an unnamed propective purchaser /within the next few months, and that only failing such a solution would construction to aVncouver and Prince George be undertaken under the authority sought from the house. Should the terms of a sale be reached the ratification of such a deal would be sought in, a specially convened session of the legislature. As to the expenditure of the moneys sought tto be provided the ministers pointed out that exnenditures, in the event, of construction being decided upon, would be made at the discretion of the railway company's directorate which was composed of two mem-,bers of the cabinet, and three prominent business men of the province in the persons of Blake Wilson, Wil-lard Kitchen and Chris Spencer.
The Labor members of the house voted with- the government for the second reading of the bill but did not contribute to the debate.
Immediately prior to the conclusion of the debate a number of questions were directed to members" of the government. The government was asked to state whether in the event of a sale being arranged approval, of the same would .be sought in the legislature or^-from the higher court of the electorate. It was. also asked jf it could affirm that the four million dollars to be votod would bridge the existing gaps in the government line between Quesnel and Prince George in the north, and between Squamish and Vancouver.
TV) the first interpellation Premier -MacLean answered that the land grant act of .1925 controlled the situation. To the second question Attorney-General Manson replied the /house might well trust the directorate of the railway company that expenditures made would be made in the best interests of the railways and of the province generally.
POLICE TAKE AGENTS
OF RING ENGAGED  IN
.THEFT   OF   HIDES
Seattle, March" 12.�After a running fight through the business section of the city on Saturday the police captured Robert Leese and T. Martin who are believed to be agents for a*1; ring, engaged in the theft of hides. The men were attempting to make a sale^ of three bales of hides when the police came upon them. They made a dash for liberty but were captured after a few shots had been fired in- their direction.
SEATTLE JUDGE GAVE
J. A. BO YD LONG, TERM ON BOOTLEGGING CHARGE
Seattle, March 10.�J. A. Boyd was sentenced to a term of -from two