nnce An independent Semi-Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the Interest off Central ond Northern British Columbia Prince George, B.C., MONDAY, March 19, 1951 $3.00 p^r year 5^ per copy ILL FACE TRIAL H5MI55AL MOTION REJECTED w ^year-old John Alfred Atherton, former C.N.R. ler at Red Pass Junction, will stand trial here next charge of manslaughter. Atherton was committed rt Thursday following a three day preliminary hearing Jved deeply into facts surrounding the November 21 'two C.N.R. trains at Conoe River.________________ iess in the proceedings ay was Frank Par-Blue River tel-[ whose testimony com-(ie day previous, testimony corroborat-Kamloops dispatcher .ale who told the court iad read back the fatal in its correct form, words included which which resulted in the wreck. Under cross-examination Em-mington told the court he was unable to state/whether or not the order he heard was being transmitted by a dispatcher or being read back by operators Atherton or Parsons. Referring to the fact that Em-mington did not come forward (See "ATHERTON" Page 6) 'tain Order Train Order No. 248 PSGR EXTRA 3538 WEST MEET NO 2 6004 AND NO 4 ENG 6057 60SNELL Train Order No, 248 PSGR EXTRA 3538 VEST MEET NO � 6004 AT CEDAR3IDE AND NO 4 ENG >7 AT GOSNELL ore ore reproductions of two vwttom �f fatal train oraW Nm-wHidi oflc^edly took tt� Hv� mt 17 aoMian aid Hm frato-November 21 when two C.N.R. trrtii �m* ImmU� at Canoe \M top it Hie vmfe* wWc*. troop) trmim Cmmimttor John M�l�-he ^t from AHierton �) IM h� JimctiM �U below is Hie Kl Dispatcher A. E. TMck cUm be JilflAii to Mpptr copy omits Hw two iwport� t words "�* Th� INJURED LOGGER IN 'FAIR' CONDITION Orville Mercer, 20-year-old district logger, lies in fair condition i today in Prince George and District Hospital after being struck by a falling tree on Thursday. Mercer was rushed to hospital from a district logging camp with head and shoulder injuries. A fellow workman stated Mercer wals injured when a tree uprooted by a bulldozer crashed down upon him. Former Pr. George Lawyer Heads B.C. Boy Scouts A former Prince George lawyer who in his own boyhood was an active Boy Scout, Mr. Justice J. O. Wilson, was elected president of the B.C. Council, Boy Scout Association, of the annual meeting held recently in Vancouver. Mr. Justice Wilson P. E. Wilson, K.C., MR. JUBTICB J. O. WILSON Work For 1500 Seen Here After Break-Up Prince George and district is undergoing a severe labor shortage at present as first indications of spring are sending many transient workers back to Alberta, bnt employment officials here. feel that break-up lay-offs will soon see a surplus of workers. The abundance of workers during the break-up may be one of the last until fall however, with three major construction companies in the market for about 1500 men. Mannix Construction Company is reported to be interested in employing about 1000 men when their full operations on road and dam constructions west of Van-derhoof get under way. Jamieson and Arnett construction companies are expected to take on about 500 men between them. The present labor shortage will'probably be a short-lived one due to the imminence ->f breakup, but so far no major lay-offs have taken place. Shortages exist in the classifications of most skilled wooda- workers, an employment official said today. Spring lay-off this year is not, however, expected to result in the large - scale unemployment situation which existed in the past. Employment men look with optimistic eyes upon the vast stacks of dry-piled lumber sitting in planer mill yards here which wlH be finished and shipped dur frig the break-up period. Most planer mills do not antici pate slowing down operations through the break-up period this year due to the adequate lumber stocks. Employment men are also bearing in mind a number of other scheduled construction projects for this year such as airport ex tension, sea-plane base construe tion, and possible erection of a federal building to house all dominion government agencies with the exception of the post office. ppear on the copy alleg-^,to the conducter of ound troop train. ing to break down Par-ement that he heard the al and that It was cor-nse Counsel John Dief-KC, M.P., asked "You �very syllable, every ry letter which Ather- the repeat?" the Blue River piefenbaker had asked I if he could remember ft of any other train or-^the same day and the replied that he could were * asked if it that a temporary had occurred be-Blue River sta-on's station at Parsons replied "I Pftae witness then Operating Deficit Lower At Prince George Hospital Prince George and District Hospital hod an operating deficit of $8,226.42 in 1950, according to a report submitted to the annual meeting of the Hospital Society by Roy Hunter, administrator. This compares favorably with deficits of $9,424.05 in 1949 and $23,096.15 in 1948. Total revenue from all sources during the year amounted to $266,578.88, an increase of $30,-385.66 over the previous year. Expenditures in 1950 totalled-$273,805.30, representing an increase of $26,793.83 over 1949. Reflecting the greater operating costs during the period under review, salary increases amounted, to $27,763.64, Mr. Hunter reported. During the year (he hospital cared for 3,044 patients, an in crease of 168 over the previous year. A total of 2,964 patients were admitted last year compared with 2,827 In 1949. Total patient days during 1950 were 28389. an increase of 7.4 percent over the 1949 figures of 26,901, and 22.12 percent higher than the 1948 total of 23,657 days. In May six additional beds were added to the hospital, providing, accommodation for 1.170 patient days during the remainder of the year. The report pointed out that more than 19 percent of the hos pital's patient days were not eligible for benefits under the and British Columbia Hospital Insur- ance Service. Fifteen Board meetings were held during 1950, in addition to committee meetings. The medical staff held 11 meetings. Spain Would Barter Troops For U.S. Aid WASHINGTON, March 19 (CP) �Spain is reported to have told the United States it would dispatch troops to the defence of western Europe if desired�provided United States weapons are sent to her forces. Responsible officials said today this assurance has been given by the SpaniBh Foreign Office to American Ambassador Stanton Griffis who sounded out the Franco government on his arrival in Madrid earlier this month. These officials said the Spanish Foreign Office told Griffis that under present conditions Spain could not move any Spanish troops beyond the Pyrenees Mountains to help defend west-em Europe. Spain's army is reported badly in need of modern weapons and parts. (UPPERS TURN DEFEAT TO WIM; CAPTURE CROWN Forty final seconds of play marked defeat for Quesnel senior hoopsters here yesterday as hard-fighting Prince George Clippers closed a three point deficit and jumped two points ahead to capture the Cariboo basketball championship 43-40. Ross Johnson and Harold Persons turned defeat. Into victory for Clippers as the time-keeper watched the sweep-second-hand near its final destination. Prince George girls, however, were not so lucky, and met a 21-17 defeat early in the week-end championship play at the hands of a smart Barkerville team. Earlier, Clippers defeated Wells in the semi-finals of the round-robin match 60-31. Wells pulled an upset in the women's division by copping the crown with a 14-11 win over Barkerville girls. Quesnel girls' team was >wit out of commission Saturday Nilght when they were defeated by the final champions 16-13. is a son of of Prince George, and is a former Judge of the County Court of Cariboo. In 1944 he was appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia. Mr. Justice Wilson became a Scout in Nelson at the age of 10 before (Tubbing was introduced, one of the first Scout Troops in Canada to be inspected by the Founder, Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell. Judge Wilson was es-!>ecially presented to the founder, laving received the Royal Humane Society Medal for Gallantry in life saving. Since 1947 Judge Wilson has been a member of the executive committee of the B.C. Provincial Scout Association, having served last year os vice-president. The Provincial Council is composed of leading Vancouver and rural business men and commun-ty minded citizens who contribute time and effort to the task of maintaining and extending Scout training to the youth cf the province and the Yukon. The new president succeeds Ralph D. Baker, president of Standard Oil Co. of B. C, who held office for two years and under whose leadership Scouting in British Columbia made tremendous strides. Membership of Scouts, Rovers and Cubs during his two-year term of office increased from 10,800 to 14,500. CHURCHILL SAYS BRITAIN 'WEAK' LONDON, March 15 (CPV-Winston Churchill moved the Conservative party's campaign. for a general election from parliament to Britain's living rooms Saturday night with a radio appeal for "a broad-based government resting on a clear and strong majority.1' He warned of "the dangers to world peace which come from a weak, divided and largely-disregarded Britain." Churchill spoke after a week of Conservative harrassing tactics in the House of Commons against the Labor Government which. has a working parliamentary majority of four. Conservative M.P.'s ;� have brought up points of order and used devices to keep the House-meeting far into the night. Weary Labor members must stand by for sudden votes to prevent defeat of the government on any issue of confidence. Truck Stolen Here Found At Wins. Lake A truck stolen from here Thursday night containing $96 worth of groceries for a Salmon River logging camp, plus a 10-gallon drum of gas, was recovered by R.C.M.P. this morning at Williams Lake, police officials* state. The truck belonged to Bverad Shields, lumber operator, who left it standing a few minutes at the corner of George Street and Fifth Avenue, only to find it gone when he returned. Disappearance of the truck ba�-fled police until Williams Lake constables reported It recovered. It was being watched for both, south and west of here. Prairie Blizzard Claims Five Lives EDMONTON, March 19 (CP)�I Five persons are known to be' dead, while 38 others stranded for two days on a snowbound train have been rescued following one of the worst March blizzards in western Canada's history. Latest victim is Roy Coston, about 14, of Bentley, Alberta. He was smothered to death Saturday when a snowbank in which he was playing collapsed. Earlier recovery Saturday of a DRINK TO MINOR COSTS MAN $300 Minimum penalty of $300 fine was handed down 'in police ! court here Saturday after Roland .Letester, a local man, pleaded l guilty to supplying liquor to � j minor. j -Leteeier was "caught in the j act" according to police as he off- fered *n H*?*011? f1** * 11" , Magistrate Hallett ^tester *� a ,flne <>f three months in jail. paid the fine. Accused four-months-old child from the wreckage of a snowbound Alberta cabin raised the death toll to four during the week-end. Meanwhile, 38 passengers on a Calgary-bound Canadian National Railways train which became snowbound last Friday near Oyen, Alberta, were rescued late Sunday. War Veteran Wins Cur In Sentence Six years service overseas iit the last war earned Jack Parcher, 37-year-old Prince George sawmill operator, a reduction from two years to 18 months in his sentence for cashing a $40 forged cheque. The hearing was held before the Court of Appeals in Vancouver Friday. Parcher had been sentenced by Judge E. D. Woodburn at Prince George. Red Cross Here Aids In Mercy Flight For Twins Prince George branch of the Red Cross played a port in-a suspenseful human drama last week, which involved a difficult R.C.A.F. mercy flight and the probable chances for life Canadians Retain World Hockey Laurels PARIS, March 19 (CP)�Lath-bridge Maple Leafs retained the world amateur hockey championship for Canada Saturday night, defeating Sweden 5-1 in a playoff game. , A sustained 60-minute Canadian attack made the concluding game even more one-sided than the score suggests. and health of two premature babies. The infants, twin son and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T. Bil-ton of Terrace, were born in the Red Cross outpost hospital there. Specialized accomodation for the tiny pair was lacking. Also, they were menaced by the flu epidemic, raging ins Terrace as elsewhere. v It was decided that the babies must be flown out, Incubated, as soon as possible to safety in Van- couver. Quickly the machinery of the province-wide Red Cross be- y gan to move. The outpost hospital in Terrace contacted provincial headquarters of the society In Vancouver. Headquarters office secured accomodation for the Infants in the premature baby ward of St. Paul's Hospital. Then the R.C.A.F. was contacted and a special plane arranged for. On board the plane was Flight-Lieutenant Glbbs, remembered here for his visit last year in connection with the Air Cadet organization. A nurse from St. (See "RED CROSS" Page 7) Geographical Board Honors Y. C. Winners A Prince George woman, Mrs-Peter Bancroft, had occasion thi* week to recall with pride the heroism of her soldier-grandfather during a World War I battle engagement. From Edmonton, Mrs. Bancroft learned that five mountains in Jasper National Park have been named after Canadian winners of the Victoria Cross, including Pte J. G. Pattison of Calgary, Mrs. Bancroft's grandfather. Others honored for bravery in this manner were Pte. G. CL Kerr, Edmonton; Pte. C. J. Kin-cross, Calgary; Sgt. R. L. ZangeL Rocky Mountain House, and LA. G. B. McKeen, of Edmonton. Mrs. Edith Gostick, secretary of the Alberta Geographical Board, says all five mountains can be seen plainly by highway travellers in the park.