Provincial Library MchlO-40 : Parliament Bldgs. PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN Vol. 23, No. 18 Prince George, B.C., Thursday, May 2, 1940 #2.00 a Year Gas War-Special Session of Legislature :Uel Boss And Oil Executives Spout ias, But It Won't Run Automobiles Public Utilities Commission Order qn Gasoline Price Reduction Strangles Trade and Commerce When Major Companies Refuse to Sell at Price Specified�Both Factions Remain Firm. NO ELECTION.ON GAS Premier Pattullo announced yester-,v that he saw no necessity for an over the gasoline crisis. Mayor i of Vancouver has-received ap-j of the Fuel Board to import gas Seattle and sell it at 24 cents as jjst a net price of 19 cents under order which has caused the crisis. premier T. D. Pattullo announced Tuesday noon that a "special meeting of the Legislature for the despatch of business relating to the n^ter of gasoline and petroleum prodncts" would be held on Wednesday, May 8, opening: at 3 p,m. The above announcement followed closely on the statement Tuesday morning of Attorney-General Gordon S. Wismer that he on behalf of the British Columbia government approached the Federal povernroent at Ottawa to Immediately order an enquiry under the Combines Act into.the actions of nine oil companies in British Columbia allegedly acting hi restraint of trade in withholding gasoline supplies from retail dealers. With a repercussion locally reminiscent of the declaration of war last September came word to Prince George citizens last Friday morning that no more gasoline would be sold to auto owners after supplies in service station tanks were exhausted. Most service stations were out of gas by noon on Friday, although some with full tanks lasted until Saturday. Altogether, there ras a noticeable curtailment of motor traffic throughout the city during the past week. The information wired to wholesale" gasoline distributors came from all the major oil companies supplying gasoline to mail pumps throughout British Columbia as an aftermath of a Supreme Qwrt of Canada decision which upheld too right of the provincial government to sU the price of gasoline. On receipt cf that word Attorney-General G. S. Wismer gave public notice that the reduction in gasoline prices established by the Public Utilities Commis-sioa under the Goal and Petroleum Act *ould be effective Friday morning. In answer to this, order the oil companies replied in effect, if not in words: "You say we must sell our gasoline at a certain figure; we say we do not chaose to sell at that price," So what? Mr. John Public may have to park his pleasure oax, and a lot of gasoline distributing agents and their employees may have to seek new lines of endeavor to keep the "wolf from the door." The first order of the oil companies *as modified somewhat later in the day when they notified their distributors mat they could make sales to trucks carrying food products, fuel, ^S delivery services, and to passenger ca^s and .�ambulances used by nurses and doctors, and vehicles of the National Defence department, to police and fire deprtments, and school buses. �s gns must be-obtained at the bulk forage plants and not from the retail To these services gas is to be at the prices established by the Utilities Commission, under the wid Petroleum Act for the areas '�Men it is obtained. All invoices h fu "aariM* fw consumption only �y l"esc particular services, and "not ior re-sale." The previous price of ethyl gasoline "^ce George, which is the grade most generally used by oar owners, waa Jjytoe Public Utilities Commission or-�. cents for this grade of gaso- a linT1 ** *** W>der reads at P�"**1* who contravenes the order. dealers are not taking any and are lending a deaf ear to 5 of why an. old and favorite should be supplied with, well �3 grandma's funeral. V to W. P. President he order as to price practically to oonfiscaton. 0 th� public, they must tnn � own rights. "XMrraron, on page ftvb) Paint Up! Clean Up! Slogan Of J.C.C. From May 6 to 11 South and Central Pupils Will Compete for District Prizes� Boy Scouts to Participate. To inaugurate the second annual clean-up and paint-up campaign to be sponsored by the Junior Chamber of Commerce a committee of that body has drawn up a comprehensive program which will embrace every citizen in the task of giving Prince George a particularly effective spring face lifting on the occasion of the city's twenty-fifth birthday. The week commencing next Monday, May 6, has been proclaimed civic clean-up week by Mayor A. M. Patterson, and during that time every householder is asked to contribute to improving the general appearance of the city by giving his own grounds a vigorous grooming with rake and wheelbarrow. The rubbish so accumulated will be collected by the city teams and trucks. In addition to raking up their own gardens, residexyts are requested by the J.C.C. committee to go a step farther this year and clean up vacant lots in the areas surrounding their homes. A few hours' work in this direction will do wonders in making Prince George a city to be remembered by the hosts of American tourists whom favorable exchange rates and the lure of the Cariboo highway are expected to attract to the city during the coming summer. Fire Chief D. O. Fraser requests, however, that before large burning operations are started that his department be notified so that necessary precautions may be taken. Pupils of grades 6, 7 and 8* in Prince George, South and Central schools will again have the opportunity of competing for substantial prizes offered by the Junior Chamber of Commerce in its annual poster contest which aroused so much favorable comment last year. The prizes will be awarded to the poster best depicting the merits of a civic clean-up campaign. Pull details of the contest will be given to the teachers of the grades affected-by W. J. Reynolds, chairman of the clean-up committee. Mesdames Ewert, Hocking and Kenney are being asked to act as judges. Following the contest the posters will be displayed-in store windows. The J.C.C. has also arranged to make a grant to the Boy Scout's camp fund in return for which the Scouts will undertake to clean up a designated vacant lot. The vim and vigor displayed by the Scouts in a similar undertaking last year will doubtless be again brought into action next week, and a worthwhile civic improvement will result. The clean-up and paint-up weeks which are sponsored by Junior Chambers of Commerce throughout Canada have in the post few years gained national prominence. In Prince George the campaign has the full support of Many Enquiries Received From Farm Prospects Advertisements of Board of Trade in Eastern Newspapers Are Widely Read by Farmers. A gathering of upwards of 50 members attended the dinner meeting of Prince George Board of Trade last Friday evening held in the Prince George Hotel ballroom. After appreciative attention to the dinner, and in addition to the usual routine matters, short addresses on timely topics were delivered by Alex. MoB. Young, Dr. R. W. Alward and W. J. Pitman, At its last meeting the board dir&cted W. L, Armstrong, secretary, to place advertisements outlining the fanning possibilities of this section in prairie > and eastern United States farm papers,' and James Travis, reporting on behalf of the publicity committee, informed members of the board that the adver- , tising had already brought upwards of i one hundred enquiries for additional information, which has all been attended to by the secretary. H. Hewlett of the membership com- j mittee reported that 19 new members I had affiliated and that the paid-up � membership as at present totalled 56. j In reply to the board's report that a j local member of the staff of the game i department be included on the B.C. Oame Board, the attorney-general replied that the government di 1 mot feel that the extra cost would be justified. The board decided to continue negotiations in the matter and press for the granting of their request. On the suggestion of President I. B. Guest it was decided to approach the proper military authorities asking that a preliminary training camp be established in Prince George for troops recruited in the central interior and northern sections of the province. A committee was appointed to arrange for the usual Dominion Day celebration in co-operation with the Junior Chamber of Commerce. Other matters brought to the attention of the board included the annual meeting of the Farmers' Institute of Central B.C. to be held at McBride in July at which representation of the board was asked, and that a move was on in southern British Columbia towns to make Mondays a full holiday instead of the present mid-week half holiday throughout the province. Since the meeting of the board, W. L. Armstrong, secretary, has received notification from Victoria that a representative of the- government will meet the board in Prince George in the near future and go into the subject matter of its resolution asking that the carriers' license for fanners' trucks be not enforced in this area. , I, P. & G. E. Railway Head Visits Here A party of Pacific &. Great Eastern Railway officials made up of W, H. Toby, general manager; Ll D. Sargent, general freight agent, and Charles L. Bates, chief engineer, were visitors to Prince George last Thursday, returning to Quesnel on Friday morning. While here the party of railway officials inspected the P. & G. E. "cache" across the Fraser River from Prince George and mode a check on supplies stored there. Among other material it is estimated that there are approximately 4,200 tans of heavy steel rails on hand at the "cache." Although this quantity is sufficient to lay about �4 miles of railway, practically half the distance between the present end of steel at Quesnel, and Prince George, the ofsficiaOs in no manner indicated the rails would be used for that putt pose in the near future. the mayor and council. It is understood that city officials will co-operate with the Junior Chamber by them-selvesi cleaning up one or two long standing civic eyesores. The city has already this spring planted a number of willow trees, donated by the Horticultural Society, along First avenue, and at present city employees are at work clearing the brush from along the roadsides. Ben Baird Builds Business Block "Work started on Friday last on the wrecking of the building located at the south-west corner of Third avenue and George street occupied for the past several years by Sterling Food Markets and owned by L B. Baird, well known Prince George businessman. This work is preliminary to the construction of a new store for Mr, Baird who is expanding his gent's clothing, haberdashery and shoe business. The new building wlH have a frontage of 60 feet on George street and 70 feet on Third avemte, aaad will be one storey in height. The south wall and rear wall will be of concrete, while the George street and Third avenue sides will be all plate glass, affording the largest window space in the city for the display of goods. John Mclnnis, local contractor, has the work in hand,' and the building exclusive of fixtures and Shelving, will cost in the vicinity of $15,000. Speaking to a Citizen reporter, Mr Baird stated he plans to move into his new and commodious store premises about September 1. P.G. Golf Season Officially Opens Sunday, May 5 Club Competitions in Morning and Afternoon � Many Improvements to Greens, Tecs. With arrangements completed between the provincial government and the Prince George Golf and Country Club for a lease of the southerly portion of the local golf course, the executive committee made a atart last week on their long projected improvements to the layout of some of the fairways. Major preliminary changes in mind have to do with holes number two. three and four. Number two green is being moved westerly several feet from its present location, thus clearing the fairway of number five considerably. Number three green is being-moved westerly a couple of hundred feet, clearing for which is now/com-pleted, and number three tee is being shifted from its present location on the river bank westerly to near the northwest corner of the Indian cemetery. Number four tee will' be moved from its present site �ivthe brow of the hill westerly to near'the new number three jreen which^will develop a sporty "dogleg" on number four hole. The ^greens have all been resanded, rolled and thoroughly manicured, besides having the corner posts and wire fencing removed. The necessity for the fences around the greens to keep the cattle and horses from cutting them up no longer exists, as with the lease arrangement it is now possible to erect a fence to keep livestock off the course altogether. Sunday, MJay 5, has been set by the\ executive for the season's official open- \ ing of play. In the morning club competitions in the men's foursomes will be run off, and in the afternoon the ladies' foursomes and mixed foursomes are scheduled* The club is holding a flannel dance in the Elks Hall tomorrow (Friday) evening. May 3, and the ladies' committee in charge axe assuring a gala time for all who attend. Prince George Men's Basketball Team Closes Season; 12 Wins, No Losses In Final Clash With Wells Seniors Saturday Last Defeated Opponents by Score of 48 to 22�WelU Senior Girls Nosed Out Prince George Girls 23-21 in Fast and Exciting Game In a fast and exciting finish to the<� basketball season the Prince George senior squad established their right to be regarded as champions c-f northern British Columbia with honorable intentions on the rest of the provir.ee if the opportunity arises. Coach L. B. Mathcws and Captain Pat Porter between them have produced a senior men's team, that is outstanding i:i the ranks of senior "B" basketball. Needless to say, the large crowd of ardent fans that attended the final tournament of the season in Princess Hall on Saturday last were royally entertained by a series of fast and exciting games. The junior boys opened the even- - ing's program "with a hard fought, fast exhibition in which they displayed a knowledge of the fine points of the game not usually found In such youthful aspirants. The Barons won from the Bearcats by a score of 13 to 7. High School junior girls met the Gym juniors in a hotly contested game for the championship of their class, and after putting- up a fine.demonstration of speed and skill, neither team 'was able to gain the decision, the final score being 10-10. The replay of this game will prove Interesting as both teams �are eager to clinch the bop spot. The senior girls game between Wells (OONTINT7ED ON PAOS FIVE) Late WAR German forces were defeated south of Dombas in Norway. Mussolini informed the United 8tates ambassador that Italy would remain a non-belligerent at present. Today's despatches state a sea battle is in progress In Norwegian waters. Intense British air attacks on German held airdromes in Norway continue with heavy damage and some losses to our planes. The British admiralty has ordered all British merchant ships off the. Modi-teranean owing to. growing tenseness between Britain and Italy. Italian government leaders' verbal attacks upon Brib3in are being taken seriously in London. Italian and German troops have moved closer .to the Yugo-Slav fronter. A Moscow manifesto accuses Italy of entering the war to increase her hold upon the Mediterranean. (OOHTXNtTED ON PAOK FOUR) THE GERMAN CENSORS MISSED THIS PICTURE In defiance of strict regu-aiions, carrying' ruthless penalties, this picture was taken in the port of Hamburg in northern Germany. The film was then smuggled out of Germany on a neutral ship. Photo shows dense clouds of smoke and flame belching from a Nazi minelayer in the backgbrund, bombed aa she lay moored at the quayside. Manoeuvring near the minelayer which was blown up a tew minutes before the picture wae taken li another Gennsai vessel coming to its aid. Note the black hull of a Na�i submarine in "the lore-ground with (fcree sailors on its deck.