Uzen An Independent Weekly Newspaper Devoted ft� the Interests of Central ond Northern British K � jmbia 20. Prince George, B.C., Thursday, May 13, 1948 $2.50 a Year Iwntown Lots Reserved Site For Civic Centre test of Organization For Land Opposite Arena Is j t0 Subject to Endorsement of Public Meeting her step in progress was| tfie civic centre council ,u,,h!. when a request to council at its regular that lots six to nine in-o 18 inclusive in er an bell ami 11 , , 31 be reserved.for the civic council until such time as uram of a. proposed civic ite the arena is ap-al a public meeting later, iquest was granted, hq'uest was made by a del-[ttfthe civic centre council g of Garvin Dezell, Jim Mames Hutchinson, >lng spokesman on |of the delegation, motion to agree to the re-m'ade by Aid. F.. O. [a seconded by Aid. Harold and carried unanimous-Ris, a> Mayor Jack N:chol-Inied out, this was the be-of a civic centre for [Georw. Included in the motion Droviso granting a reserve tain flooring in the city possession, which can in the drill hall proposed jrchased from the War As-poration, and which it the intention of the civ-cVnincil to move down This flooring had previous-reserved for the Junior jr of Commerce to be .used arerra. but as the junior had agreed to support bposed civic centre^ the re-(f the flooring was transfer-civic centre council. )ezell explained to the city .that his organization was [stage where 4t was trying pare for a public, meeting,' :h it was hoped endorsa-the civic council's .action he given. He therefore or. this reserve being^ put land in question, so that c centre council could ge\ public with a concrete Itioh. [only obstacle of a house fng to a private individual, is located on the land had been overcome, said >kesman, and a deal .had bade with the owner of the |g- He pointed out that Fawcett, president of the centre council, had been come to terms in regard house, and that the civic council had obtained an Jon it. � jat you want.tonight." ask-W>r Nicholson, "is a decis-[the. land1.'" [decision was duly given in the civic centre council, will .shortly call the pro- ! public meeting t6 clinch Jl and form the civic centre >n to carry out the pro-Jg'ram. � Dobson Chosen eadKorthern lor Lumbermen � Dobson was chosen -to grrTorthern Interior Lum-s Assoviation, being elec-�J>e position of president 1110 convention last week. cceeds C. T. Clare in the McGilliviay was elected ^President, I. McQueen cnosen second vice-presi- ^executive elected for this tK Pf. the following:� , W. E. Kirschke, Len. ':.l- Clare, D,on. McPhee, 'ean- H: Engelson and H. Ruddock of Vancouver " industrial relations of- ll~~A strike of 75,000 11-the Chrysler Motor Plants in the United tJ J ,fntered its second iM ke 8tarted Wednes- lZ c�mpany and auto- union were unable wages. to New Assessment Of City Property May Be Called By Council Mayor Nicholson Brings Up Matter But No Action Taken It niay be necessary to have a new assessment of all city property according to discussions at the regular city council meeting Monday night. Mayor Jack Nicholson brought up the subject, pointing out that he felt it was his duty to do so in view of the fact that the financial structure had to be changed owing, to'the growth of the city.** "It looks to me as if something has to be done about it," declared the mayor. He suggested a motion as to a new assessment �n lands and buildings. He was not advocating an improvement tax. he said, though he hinted that such a tax might eventually have to come. The city had outgrown the present taxation- system, lie added. He had hoped, he said.-that the city could hold off until the hydro got going.* Mayor Njcholson stressed �that the* city was today operating at three mills less than last year, so far as administration costs were concerned, .making reference to the heavy cost of the school board estimates. After considerable discussion, in which.it was suggested that a new assessment> would require the presence of an expert, and might entail conlderable e3cpen.se. followed probably by a court xiif-revision, no definite action was taken by the council, it being feit that more thought and consideration should be given to the matter. Robert Milton Large, Brothe^pf City Woman, Dies in Quesnel Hospital Last rites Were held Tuesday at Quesnel for Jlobert Milton Large, known 48, popular and, well- resident of the district, who diedrin Quesnel Hospital on Saturday. Mr. Large came to Quesnel 11 years ago and for several years operated a placer gold claim oh the1 upper Quesnel River. During the -war he was employed by Boeing shipyards" at Vancouver. He returned to the Cariboo two years ago, but was unable to Work his placer claims due to a chronic heart ailment. '. He leased the Stanley Hotel which he operated with his wife until its destruction by fire two weeks ago. Deceased entered Quesnel Hospital a week prior to his death. Surviving are his .widow; five sisters, Mrs. C. A. Warner, Prince George; Mrs. Joe Kass, Enderby; Mrs. H. Poole, Powell River; Mrs. C. B, Hadley and Mrs. S. O. Moore, Vancouver, and two brothers, Russell, of Enderby, and Harry, of Powell D. Wisdom Guesses Time of Ice-Break Within Nine Minutes Two close guesses as to the actual hour and date on which the ice would break were given in the contest conducted by the Junior Sports Club, Don Wisdom of Newlands, coming within nine minutes of the actual time. He was awarded the first prize and becomes the owner of the electric frigidaire. Mr. Wisdom prophesied that the ice would break May 8 at 4.51 p.m. It actually broke that date at 4.42 p.m. Second prize went, to Lloyd G.\ Armstrong, whose guess was the same date, but hour mentioned by him was ,4.29, being only beaten, therefore, by four minutes' estimate, or 13 minutes within the actual time of breaking. Deputy-Governor Of Kinsmen Club Gordon Nicol of Prince George, was elected deputy-governor for northern B.C. in district five of the Kinsmen Club at the annual convention in Vancouver yesterday, the only other" candidate being R. E. Montador of Prince Rupert. Mr. Nicol succeeds W.- J. "Bill" Jarmson in this office, thus retaining the post of deputy-governor in Prince George. S. W. Welch of West Vancou-yer was. chosen governor of district five, succeeding O. H. Day of Kamloops. His election was by ^acclamation. The convention, was the largest Kinsmen gathering, ever held in district five,, being attended" by 200 Kinsmen and 150 Kinnettes from 31 clubs In the prbvince. The convention for 1949 will be held in Penticton. Among those attending the convention besides Mr. Nicol and Mr. Jarmson, were Mr. and Mrs. R. S. "Doc" Ferguson and Mr. and Mrs.' Joe Strobiki of Prince George, and Mr. and Mrs. Ross, Goodwin from Quesnel.' Other deputy-governors elected were Art Jackson' of Kelowna, for the interior, and Rudy Alexander of Nanaimo, for Vancouver Island. JCC Clean-Up Drive May 17 to May 29 Sponsored by the Junior Chamber of Commerce, annual clean;up drive dates have now been announced. Campaign dates are from May 17 to May 29. Support of the clean-up drive has also been received by the junior chambers from Hon. D. C. Abbott,'minister of finance, who points out the importance of the Strive". "The minister stresses that the drive is more important" this year because of efforts to bring American tourists to Canada and thereby assist in balancing the U.S. exchange deficit. DUTCH QUEEN TO ABDICATE (By Canadian Press) THE HAGUE�Queen Wilhelm-ina of the Netherlands, announced .Wednesday .she will abdicate in favor of her daughter, Juliana, after her golden jubilee on September 8. Declare Piercy Insane VANCOUVER�An assize court jury Wednesday night declared William Piercy, 39, of North Vancouver, incapable on "the grounds of insanity" of standing trial for the February 23 shotgun slaying of his neighbor, Bernard Smith. Piercy was ordered to be held in custody pending ruling of the lieutenant governor by order-in-council. Pensions Bill Approved . OTTAWA�The War Pensions Bill got final approval' -in 'the House �of Commons Wednesday. Veterans1 Minister Gregg said cheques covering a retroactive pensions increase of 25 per cent will go but early in June to 400,-000 recipients. Leduc Oilfield Closed EDMONTON-^-Alberta. authorized closing down of the S300,-000,000 Leduc oil field beginning today to protect it from a well gone out of control. Valves closed throughout the entire field at 8 a.m. and drilling of the immediate area to Atlantic number three well, gushing uncontrolled since March 8, comes to a"h end because gusher held to threaten "fire and explosion. All pipe line resources will be devoted to drawing" off thousands of barrels of oil on the surface, where they bubble 30 feet into the air in places, and drilling is aimed at bringing the wild well permanently under control or sealing it off. hern I atally Injured As es in Residential Area Wilfred Blair, Pilot, Recovering in Hospital Following Spectacular Accident Thursday Evening �:.------------ri B.C. Industries' Open House Week Is Sponsored by Trade Boards May 16-22 First of Its Kind, Organizations Invite Citizens to Visit Industrial and Business Firms and See Value of Products British Columbia Industries' Open House Week, sponsored by the B.C. Boards of Trade 'and Chambers of Commerce, and the first of its kind in the province, will be held during the week commencing Sunday, lasting until May 22. In a radio statement on the Dominion network station.^ CJOR. Tuesday evening. H. T. Mitchell, president of the Vancouver Board of "Trade, declared that the -event was, so far as he knew, the first of its kind in North America. During the week mentioned, he said, industrial and business organizations all over' British Columbia would invite citizens�particularly the friends and refatives of their employees�to come and see the organizations at work. The purpose, the speaker said, was two-fold. One object is to bring more people^ into contact with the working organizations of employee and management which together made British Columbia one of the most productive and enterprising provinces of Canada. "We all, as consumers," said Mr. Mitchell, "owe much to the teamwork of executives, supervisory and labor forces which, in our freedom system with its incentives and its lack of compul-. sions, gives us a high standard of living under conditions which are the envy of so many other places around the world." The second purpose, the speaker y continued, was to acquaint more people with the remarkable rarige and the very fine quality of products being turned out in Bri-Ush Columbia. "Open House Week," Mr. Mitchell stressed, "will give British Columbia industries a chance to display their- manufactures to their friends right at the point of production." It was a Board of Trade movement, which, sponsoring the week. was.confident that after it is all over, the people of British Columbia would have ^ better idea of their industrial might, about the versatility of their factories and^how industry and Us employees' serve the public, welfare. - It is polntedjOut that the premier and .the minister of trade and industry are supporting the boards of trade in the enterprise, and the regional development division of the provincial government has been requested by the co-ordinating committee oIl the project to lend every possible assistance wherever possible. This department, of which W. H. Crocker is regional field representative -in. Prince. George area, has accordingly offered the facilities of its field machinery. The co-ordinating committee has communicated with all boards of trade, local newspapers and radio stations, and urges cooperation of these local organizations during the period concerned. It has been suggested that each company participating should set up a committee to coordinaf* and manage its open house week. On this committee, it is added,-should be those representative of top management; personnel managers; advertising managers; representatives of unions^ or employee groups; sub-commfttee on decoration and posters in plants; subcommittee on guide personnel; sub-committee on publicity handout material; sub-committee on co-ordination with local board of trade, and sub-committee on refreshments and souvenirs if suitable facilities for such exist. One of the most tragic events in the history of Prince George occurred Thursday evening last when a plane piloted by Wilf. Blair, 24-year-old reporter on the staff of the Citizen, crashed at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Vancouver Street, resulting In the death of Everett MacEachern, who was a pyssenger in the light aircraft in which the couple were flying at the time. :' A few minutes before the ill-fated plane crashed it was seen flying west a few feet above the Xechako River. It "hedge-hopped" the Nechako Bridge, banked sharply to the left and flew at an extremely low altitude over the westerly low outskirts of the city. Spectators said the plane was so low that tree tops swayed in its wake. . The plane banked through 180 degrees in ia "tight" turn a few seconds before the crash. According'-to the coroner's verdict the death of Mr. MacEachern was caused .from injuries received in "the crash of an aircraft." Inquest was held Saturday and ad- To probe circumstances surrounding the crash, a board of enquiry sat in provincial police court, Prince George, Saturday morning. G., C. Upson and J. Bertalino. both of Vancouver, inspectors for the air services branch. Dominion department of transport, presided oveV the investigation; The press was barred from the hearings, and the results of the enquiry will.be forwarded to Ottawa and not made public, it was stated. journed till Monday evening when witnesses Were heard regarding the � affair. Jury consisted of George F. Hadden, foreman, Harold Elsie, Arnold Davis, Horace Shallard, W. H. James and William Fleming. . . Mr. MacEachern died In the Prince George and District Hospital Friday evening, never hav-, ing regained consciousness. The ! condition of Mr, Blair, who' suf- j fered facial injuries arid a. broken ieel, is stated to he* good and he is reported on .the way to recovery. ��' Frank,-Clark, local first-aid instructor, St. John's Ambulance Association, saw the crash from iis home on Fifth Avenue, and immediately grasped his first-aid kit and rushed to the scene of the accident on Vancouver Street, where many residents became alarmed, as they saw the plane flying low. . � Bernard McKenzie also saw the rash and immediately got In touch with the city ambulance, which rushed to the rescue. Dr-. J. McKenzie and Dr. E. G. Lyon were very quickly on the scene to-give all the necessary aid re: luired. Another man quickly on the scene was Harry Giese, who helped to remove the two injured men from the plane. It w'as not long before a large crowd gathered and endeavored to assist the others. Accompanying Frank Clark and Harry Giese with the two Injured men in.the ambulance was a woman, whose name is unknown and who was obviously a nurse, and who assisted with the removal of the two men to hospital. A number of witnesses stated that they had seen the plane flying around the town for about five minutes, and at Sixth Avenue and Vancouver Street it was reported to have just missed a house. The aircraft took about three feet from the top of a tree, struck an ^electric light wire and nose-dived into the road. The piano,-was practically demolished, trie engine being pushed back into the cabin. Both� occupants of the plane* were members of the Prince George Flying Club. Mr. Blair was an ex-R.C.A.F. pilot. Two Prince George Men Obtain Degrees At University of B.C. Frank S. Perry Graduates In Law; James H. Kenney, Arts Two Prince George men graduated aftha University of British Columbia this week, these being-Frank SamUel Perry, who received the degree of Bachelor of Laws, and James Harold Kenney, as Bachelor of Arts. They received their degrees today when Viscount Alexander, governor- \ general of Canada, presented them to the many recipients on this auspicious occasion. y Mr. Perry is the son of H. G. T. Perry, former- minister of education and publisher of the Prince George Citizen, and Mr. Kenney , is a son of. L. H. Kenney, insurance and real estate businessman, also of this city. Total graduation class amounts -to over 1,300, there being 591 in arts-^science;' 213 in applied science, 98V in agriculture. 380 in professionaK�ehools in arts science and 59 \Vho graduated in law. Also honored with an honorary IL.L.D. degree was Viscount Alexander, the same degree being con-, ferred on Dr. G. M. Weir,1 former minister of education and ex-professor of the U.B.C. arid A. D. P.-Heeney, clerk of the privy council, Ottawa, and first holder of, the position as secretary to the cabinet. � ^ Dr. Daniels-Buchanan, who retires this,, year as dean of the faculty of arts and science, and' head' of' the mathematics dejiarpnent received the honorary 'dVijfroe of. D.S.C. '-�%� Drunken Driving Sends Men to Jail Second Offence Brings Month Other Two Get Seven Days Three cases of driving automobiles while intoxicated occurred in Prince George last week, and all three were sentenced to jail terms. One of the three was a second offender and is now spending a month in jail for his overindulgence while, driving a car. The other two were given seven days each. One* of the ..arrests was Thursday evening last, - the other two being on Saturday. The breaking of traffic laws brought two other men before the court during the past week. One was charged with exceeding the 15-mile-an-hour speed limit while driving through fhe school area and was fined $25 and costs, or, in default, 10 days in jail. The other was fined ?5 and costs under a city bylaw., Other cases dealt with by the magistrate during the past seven days included three charged un-der the Liquor Act with intoxication, one being fined $25 and costs, the other two $10 and costs each. Alternative, punishment was 10 days .in jaiJL^^-'^" Three' vagpan'ts", � two of whom were without employment, werQ. meted out fines of $10 and costs or 10 days in jail. They chose to serve the time rather than pay the fines. One. woman vagrant was given five days in the local jail. One man arrested on a common nuisance charge was given a fine of $5 and costs with the alterna-tive of serving five days in the jailv WASHINGTON � President Truman said today bjs hopes for eventual peace have not been increased by the recent exchange of notes with Russia. He declared that'what. Is heeded is action rather than general, talks.