Thursday, July 20, 1939. GFBZE Prince Geprge, B. C. Finlay Valley Holds Promise In Agriculture Canadian Airways Plane Sets Out on Aerial Mapping North of Finlay River p C. Green, surveyor general, passed through Prince George July i3 on his way to Victoria after visiting the six survey parties engaged in mapping the Finlay and Kechika valleys. About 60 men are employed on this -work and with the exception of the technical staff and key men about all are residents of Prince George and Finlay River area. Dick Corless jr. has the contract for freighting gasoline and supplies. The object of the work is to prepare a map of these valleys showing 10G foot contour lines, this map to be similar in type to others, compleujct m ict-cui years, covering large, areas near Bar-kerviile and on Vancouver Island. Canadian Airways- will have a plane, equipped fpr photography, in the area almost immediately, and it is "proposed to photograph about 5000 square miles following the valleys from Finlay Porks to the northerly boundary of the province on the Liard River. The ground work necessary before the aerial photographs can be used for mapping is being carried out by the six survey parties and their method is based on triangulation and ground photography�a method which gives accurate results at a cost of about $20 per square mile. Mr. Green states that the Finlay River for the 165 miles to Whitewater flows through an almost flat , valley from six to twelve miles wide and that indications along the banks point to a large area of agricultural [land Which at present is too far from any mar^efT His statement was that the lands departmeni^was not primarily inter-estedjn Alaska, highway location, their M being general ^purpose mapping Mor the needs'orxhe geologist, forester or farmer, but he admitted that the topographical information .v secured would be very useful to any engineer engaged in weighing the merits of.yarr ious highway routes and by insuring . the best and shortest location might easily save the builders far more than. the cost of the topographical survey. The topographical mapping of all likely looking routes before location of a highway would toe really getting the horse before the cart," Mr. Green remarked. Tourists Eager For Alaska Highway Americans Will Flock to Northern B. C, Says Visitor Californians are showing a good deal of interest in the proposed British Columbia-Yukon-Alaska Highway, ana if the road is ever built British Columbia will benefit from the large tourist trade that is certain to develop. This is the opinion of Harold F. Patterson, of the Oakland Post-Enquirer composing staff, who passed through Prince George Tuesday en route to Hazelton. On his .first trip through the Cariboo and the central interior the Californian is greatly impressed with the variety and beauty of this section �f British Columbia. "We heat quite a bit of the Alaska highway m Oakland," Mr. Patterson told- the Citizen. "The highway will certainly be a big help to B.C. if it's ever constructed, and most Americans hope it will be." -��� - The road into Prince George was almost the best Mr. Patterson had travelled in British Columbia,' although he felt that before B. C. could expect Americans to travel this far in Sreat numbers, the roads in the Clinton and southern section would have to be greatly improved. Start Construction Recreation Building Construction of Prince George's 512,000 recreation building got under jay on Saturday by A. P. Andersen, contractor. On completion oE the-Jtruc-y�* in October Prince George will J^ve a building that will be used principally as' a covered rink, and also 1 � . e fal1 fair/box lacrosse and other activities. The work to be done this year will JWy provide for a shell 100 feet by 196 to v Whlch wil1 Sive an ice surface of w by 180 feet. An annex to be conducted calls for space of 64 by 20 nf ; *"? building will be constructed "fuu ar dumber and will be roofed uiJh rubberoid. : at ?? ^uated on ten lots of block 71 �� the corner of Quebec street and . avenue. l 'No Help Yct'-Pattullo Way Left Open for Future Action on Pea^e'ftjyer Connection CYCLES AT 86�Bill Bailey, the spry-est gaffer Toronto has seen in many a moon, cycled-into town from. Vermont and almost immediately pedalled toward Chicago. Mr. Bailey, 86 years old. has little patience with the stay-at-homes back in TJnderhill, Vt. He likes adventure, and this is his secona bicycle trip from the Green Mountains to Chicago. Following a meeting of the local Monkman Highway Associa< tion with J. G. Turgeon MP. last Saturday, H.: ^G^ Perry M.L.A., whose-provinciai goyern^ ment has 1>een placed "orNttie spot'.1 -6y the statements or M*>^ Turgeon promising federal assis- v tance to the Monkman highway, sent the following^wire to Premier T. D. Paftullo: "J. G. Turgeon MP. has ad-v:sed public^ bodies here of federal government offer through him^tb Pearson, MacPherson. to make grant on fifty-fifty basis for Monkman road as unemployment measure. Unemployment serious throughout district and recent highway appropriation too meagre adequately, to relieve in so many different parts of district. Mbnkman trail goes through valuable old pulp timber hence important forestry trail and workers could follow such surveying as'is necessary though reconnaissance already made. Am pressed ,to urge your approval of federal proposal so. work could be done before season advances further." The Premier replied as follows: . � "Reference telegram seventeenth sorry not possible undertake commitment Monkman Highway at present time. Kindest regards." The^only encouragement the association^ can take from the Premier's message is that while at the present time" the provincial government will not commit itself, the way is left open for further action at some other time. This is at least some achieve-N ment from the time when the \Monkman highway was hardly considered at all by the minister of\public works, Hon. P. MacPherson. Another step achieved by the solid work of the Monkman as-sociation\ whose courage and faith haveSiever wavered in face of constant discouragement by the powers that be, is the changed attitude of the federal government. It is reported that the grant offered was a substantial one and if matched by the province would practically complete a rough and passable road connecting the B. C. highway sys-. tern -with the Peace River highways In both Alberta and B.C.. giving an outlet to 80,000 people in the Peace to the Pacific coast. Volunteer ,work is being continued as far as donation will permit. A crew of eight men has been working from the Peace end according ( to a letter received from Mrs. Hazard Smith of Wembley, the_ energetic sec- � retary...........r POLICE COMB CITY; Fear that he may have been drowned led provincial police on a search Sunday night and Monday morning for ten-year-old Raymond Sandberg who disappeared from his parents' home about 10. o'clock Sunday morning. "^v Under Const. A. H. Taylor police combed the district, inspected the Fraser River, the\"gravel pit" and other swimming poolsNfor a possible clue to the lad's disappearance. Contentment reigned again^ in the Sandberg family -when Raymond turned up, unharmed, Monday about noon. His father, A. G. Sandberg. reported that Raymond had spent/the night with friends and had not in formed the family. Oldest White Settler Forty-Mine Years in North, 89 Year Old Trapper Comes to Prince George Federal Help Promised Equal Basis With B.C. Hinges on Province Undertaking Equal Expenditure for Peace River Highway J. G, Turgeon MP. met the executive of the Monkman Pass Highway Association in Prince George last Sa- , turday when he gave assurance that the federal minister of labor. Hon. Norman Rogers had definitely made a proposal through him to the provincial government of a grant to be used on the Monkman road, on a fifty-fifty basis. "If the province will undertake to meet the sum offered by the federal government as an unemployment measure, there is no reason why wor!" could not be undertaken on this road from this end I presume, this summer." Mr. Turgeon declared; �H. G. Perry MJj.A. received positive statements from Mr. Turgeon that the offer had been made to Hon. G. Pear--son, provincial minister of labor, /in writing and that Mr. Turgeon hadiilso Interviewed Hon. F. MacPherson. minister of public works at-Victoria. Maikes Stand Clear / "I am fully in sympathy with the Monkman road,"ysaid Mr. Turgeon. "There has been a lot of misunderstanding in.--various parts of the district abqufmy attitude and that of th? federaK^govemment in regard to the Mpntcman highway. The mining road appropriations to the Omlneca district for the Finlay road have no relation to the question of appropriations to the Monkman road. The Monkman road, having so far no miningopera-tlons has not been: classified as a mining road. Her^ce any monies secured for the Monkman must be from other than mining road votes," he explained. Among those present at the executive-meeting were Dr. C. Ewert, W. J. Pitman, John Mclnnis, Martin Caine "and H!vt5. ;h L:' Eighty-nine year old George Holder] NAMED CHAIRMAN came from his cabm at Fort McLeodj SETTLEMENT BOARD to Prince George this week for a look j at the city he^passed through oiyhis way to the north 49 years ago. He has TMcLeod Refund for C. N-R. Members in Scheme New City Hospital Plan Gives Special Consideration Members of the C. N. R. Medical Association will be given a refund of any monies paid to the city hospital in their behalf by the assocation, on becoming members of ^the city hospital's group insurance^scheme. This plan, which will practically give C. N. R. members free liospitalization, was set forth in a resolution passed by the Prince George Hospital Society Tues-day night. "A member of the C; N. Medical Association could have a private room at the hospital without charge, since the refund would more than cover the extra dollar per day which is paid for a private room," C. H. Wlsenden, secretary of the hospital society, explained. Members of the society are very ?leased with the progress being made in the group scheme. There are now 400 members, and prospects of a good many more. To Buy New Stove �* . <. Purchase of a new-stove for the hOa-pltal that will mean a big saving in heating costs, was settled Tuesday. It was decided to buy an Aga stove, an entirely new patent, giving 24-hour service at little expense. At the present We, the hospital uses one ton ot coal per week,"'but with the new stove only three tons of hard coal a year are expected to be required. The stove will cost $780.00. � . , Members of the hospital society were very pleased with news of a^grant of $2 500 which is being made by the provincial government to assist to making improvements at the ipstitu-SorT Appreciation was expressed to H. G perr7 MiA. for his "efforts in arranging for the grant to be made. only been out of the Port country, less than 10b>miles from Prince George, three r-times in that half-century. George^is older now and a little less sturdy, but he still feels almost as young as he ever did and eagerly recalls his early days. We told George the readers of the Citizen would be interested in him ^inCe he's been away from civilization so^long. "Newspapers, newspapers?" asked George^There's no use talking to me for newspapers. You see I'm not much of a scholar^and maybe I couldn't explain things very good. "No sir," he continued. "I only went to school for ten days�-in Birmingham, England, where ix was born. I had to go to work at severi years of age and the only schoolln' I>vir got was a little over a week at night school. My teacher's name was Mr. Pie^' but that wasn't a very apt name, be-" cause he was anything but sweet. You had to step lively in school in those days." Came For Medical Care The immediate reason for- George's visit to Prince George was to undergo a medical examination. It was only through pressure of friends that he was induced to enter the doctor's oi-t ice; because he feels he's In good physical condition. This, he said, was con-finned by his doctor. The trapper and ex-Hudson . Bay employee explained that he had everything inspected "from myv lungs to my gizzard, and the doctor said I was good for another twenty*years at least."" Mr. Holders teeth are still sovnd, too�those that remain, at least. His life-long habit of chewing tobacco accounts for their condition, he believes. "I started chewin' when I was seven years old, got whipped fifty times for it, and the t'beca tasted better every time,"' George declared.. "Whenever he has trouble 'with them. George pulls out his teeth with pliers of his own. He displayed to the Citizen, with not a little pride, the cavities in his mouth, left by teeth that he had pulled himself. He admited the process was painful, but there was no other way to cope with the situation. =_ A trace of George Holder's Birmingham accent was still evident as he told of his early years in England and the United States�with a circus, with mining companies, and a variety of other concerns. He was glad to notice the improvements in Prince George, but was not satisfied with the general condition of the world. "She's siippin' too fast," George (Continued on page fourj See "FORTY-NINE YEARS" William Turnbull has been appointed chairman of the Land Settlement Board at Victoria. He was formerly secretary to Hon. T. D. Pattullo while minister of lands. He was engaged in Mexico on land properties for the pasl ten years and returned tchVictoria last fall and was appointed as special officer to report on land settlementvpay-men't adjustments. He visited Prince George last fall and was instrumental in drafting the. legislation passed last session which provided for concessions in back payments due the Land Settlement Board of B.C. -------:-----o------------- Hard Surface For Vanderhoof, Qfnel B. C, Govt. to Aid Villages; Prince George Investigates ^x Highway Improvement Mr. Williams of the Vancouver contracting firm of Williams and Um-ruthers passed through the city un Tuesday. His firm has been engaged by Hon. F. M. MacPherson, minister of public works at Victoria, to hard surface the arterial highway running through the incorporated villages ol Quesnel, Vanderhoof, Burns Lake. Smithers and Terrace. Prince George, being a city, does not come In the class of municipalities in which the government maintans the arteral highway. From the incorporated village of McBride, the highway is constructed only . easterly . to Tete Jaune and Valemount and is not classed as an arterial highway through the village at present,- though this question of reclassificatlon is now being taken up with the village commissioners. The hard surfacing to be done is said to be of a light and tnln nature at present in the villages mentioned. Several miles of the mam Cariboo highway south from Prince George were prepared last year for hard surfacing but in the opinion of J." W. Mlers, district engineer, it is better to await settling of .the road before any hard topping is done. - � Mayor Patterson interviewed Mr. Williams while here in regard to the Prince George streets. The mayor has already requested the provincial government for information as to whether the surfacing of the streets will come under the municipal assistance -plan referred to in the Citizen last week, under which the federal and provincial governments meet the relief labor costs. Tourist Bureau To Develop Trade Commissioner of B. C. Travel Bureau Here to Organize Local Tourist Groups Major Gordon Smith, commissioner of the British" Columbia government travel bureau,- was in Prince George on Saturday returning to Victoria from a visit to Stewart and Prince Rupert.N Incidental to his visit to Prince George he interviewed executives of the Board of Trade. Junior Chamber of Commerce and others respecting improved co-operation of th? local bodies with his bureau with the objective of making the tourist attractions of the area more widely known, and of further developing traffic for this region. Major Gordon Smith, who for many years has headed the government's tourist traffic development branch,-with benefit of his technical knowledge and wide experienre, discussed more especially with the executives ot interested local bodies and interests the advisability and the benefits of organization of a local bureau, either as a tourist development branch' of the local board or such other form as locally deemed expedient and satisfactory which could be co-ordinated in a general "sales promotion,'.!, organization within the province, '.'The development of a successful major tourist industry requires that not only should a provincial bureau engage energetically on broad lines Tor advantage of the province and people as a whole in general and for benefit (Continued on Pajje Pour) See "TOURISTS" A BBIEi JAPS MOLEST BRITISHERS . Japanese continue to molest Britishers and are intimidating Chinese doing business with^ the British at Tientsin. MARXIST SOCIALISTS HELI?> Danzig Nazi police arrested twenty alleged Marxist Socialists who are accused of a conspiracy to commit sabotage by dynamiting bridges in case of a Nazi German-Polish war. BRITISH WARSHIPS MASS British warships are to-Visit and be based in -Greek and Turkish harbors at once and further announcement is expected that others will be stationed at Roumanian and Russian ports in the Black Sea.