VICTORIA,�. C
a.,
An Independent Semi-Weekly Newspoper Devoted to the Interest of Central   and Northern British Columbia
V0!.35;   No. 31
Prince George, B.C.,  MONDAY,  April 21, 1952
$4.00 per year        5^ per copy
$25 Million Pulp Ml Near City
EDITORIAL
Daily Production of 300 Tons From Willow River Timber Tract
Management Licence For Coast Firm Under Review
Construction will start this summer on a pulp mill in the vicinity of Prince George with a daily capacity of 300 tons of bleached sulphate pulp.
Announcement of the project, which will cost more than $25,000,000, came over the week-end from a group of New Westminster and Prince George investors; headed by the Westminster Paper Co. Ltd., one of Canada's leading producers of specialty paper products.
The New Westminster firm has applied for a forest management licence covering a large tract of timber in the valley of the Willow River, 20 miles east of Prince George.
The application is now being reviewed by the Department of Lands and Forests at Victoria.
The proposed operation would employ 300 workmen in the mill. An additional 350 workers would be required for woods operations.
It is understood three sites are under consideration for the mill, the farthest being 10 miles from the city. Backers of the project are said not to favor the building up of a company town at the millsite, and it is considered likely a majority of the yrorkew wfll
commute tietween Prince George "**�;
and the plant.
While the pulp mill will be fed mainly from timber taken from the Willow River holdings, established sawmills within a large radius of the mill will find a market for logs unsuitable for milling.
Hon. E. T. Kenney, Minister of Lands and Forests, told The Citizen during a recent visit here he did not anticipate any undue delay in the granting of a forest management license to the New Westminster .firm.
Continued growth and expansion of the Westminster Paper Co. made it imperative that an adequate supply of raw materials be available for present needs and expanding operations, and the Prince George mill was planned to take care of this situation, according to an official of the company.
Other associates in the development find themselves in a similar position and also desire to insure a steady supply of raw pulp.
Practically the entire production of the mill will be reserved f�r members of the interested proup.
As a huge  amount  of  pulp-wood is required to  guarantee the continuity of a  project of this magnitude, it is the intention  of the  new   company  to work    closely    with     logging, sawtnill   and   planer   operators in the Prince George area, A Prince George  mlllman   interested in the venture said today the!   Pulp   plant   will    probably utilize  substantial   quantities'"'of waste material from independent (See WUP MILL, Poge 7)
Fireman Killed In C.N.R. Derailment
VANCOUVER, April 21 (CP)� One crew member was killed and three injured Saturday when a Canadian National Railways transcontinental passenger train was derailed by a washout in the Rockies.
C.N.R. officials said no passengers were injured in the wreck, about 50 miles west of Jasper, Alta.
Fireman D. C. Harris of Jasper was killed when the engine, tender and three express cars careened off the rails and plunged down
Engineer A.
C. A. Glover and Express Messenger Floyd Gates, all of Jasper.
A hospital train from Jasper spend to the scene and evacuated the three injured men to hospital in Jasper.
One hundred and fifty passengers aboard the Toronto-bound, 13-car coach train were transferred to another train on the east .side of the washout.
City Balks At Plan For Queen St. Park
British Columbia Department of Lands will not be requested to put aside Block 238 in the Millar Addition for a children's park, it was decided by City Council last week.           \
In a letter to the city, municipal aid was asked by the Con-naught Hill Parent-Teachers' Association in getting the government to reserve the block for park purposes. Block 238 was the site of Connaught School which was demolished by fire early last fall.
Alderman William Ferry summed up the Council's attitude towards the proposal when he said that a park alongside busy Queen Street would be a bad risk.
"Traffic there is far too heavy," another alderman stated.
The Council's ruling was also in accord with a recent Town Planning Commission recommendation which urges rezoning of the former school site to multiple dwelling.
iwureii.,,*�*. Runaway Race Cor
Key, Baggageman              -    *
Kills Four Spectators
DAYTON, Ohio, April 21 (CP)� A big racing car suddenly whirled out of control at Dayton Speedway Sunday, smacked a paint barrel, and plunged into a crowded grandstand, killing four persons and injuring 42.
Its driver, 29-year-old Gordon Reid of Burbank, Calif., father of four, was killed instantly.
Alarm System Failed
City Saved Further Hood1 By Millar Addition Resident
Overflowing Water Tank Blocks Borden Aver
Actions of an alert housewife prevented further street and water main damage early Sunday morning when an alarm system -failed and more than 100,000 gallons of water cascaded from the Connaught water tower causing a landslide on Borden
Avenue.
Houses in the Millar Addition were without water for from two to eight hours yesterday as a result.
Mud, gravel and small trees were piled four feet thick at one point on Borden Avenue where the falling water gouged deeply into the hillside';�                   �
Mrs. J. G. MacArthur, 1250 Davey Street, noticed the flood shortly after 6 a.m. from the windows of her home. She instantly telephoned City Engineer Charles East who had the city's water pumps shut off.
Mr. East  said  that  the  tower
B.C. Liquor Plebscife On Local Option Basis
VICTORIA, April 21 (CP^�Wording of two tfebiseitet to be placed be-fore voten in the June 12 provincial election were announced Saturday by Vernier Byron Johnson and Artomey-Generol Gordon Wtamer.
The liquor plebiscite will ask: "Are you in favor of the sale of spirtuous "quor and wine by the gloss in establishments licensed for s�sii purpose?
In explaining Hie plebiscite Mr. Wismer said the suggested change in ''fluor distribution will nor be considered unless there is on over-oil offfimM-Hv� response to the question.
"�" this event (an affirmative rote)" Mr. Wismer soid, "it would not be �� intention of the government to grant licences in those districts which vot-* negatively. In other words, the mandate of the people would be carried out CI� o local option bash."
"In those constituencies that voted negatively the suggested change  nt b       d"     d H                           eral
 not be made." said Hie attorney-general
Regardless of how how the plebiscite vote goes, Mr. Wismer soid it is the lnl�n�on of the government ro set up a consultative committee composed of 0 er�� section of community life Immediately after the election.
Doyliaht saving ballots ask: "Are you in favor of daylight sovina?"
had been overflowing for about an hour before Mrs. MacArthur put in the call. About 15,000 gallons of water had cascaded over the top of the tank and, in its course down the side of the hiJl, had washed out a watermain.
When the main went out the 100,000 gallons stored in the tank poured down the hill ripping out small trees and taking about 800 cubic yards of clay and gravel with it.
This is the second successive year -that the tower has overflowed.
Mr. East said that the level of water in the tank is controlled by an alarm system which rings a bell in the city fire hall when the tank is full.
When the bell rings, the fireman on duty advises the pump station on First Avenue and the flow to the water tower is shut off.
Mr. East said that for some reason the bell failed to ring around 5 o'clock yesterday morning.                                   - i
A city works crew toiled most of yesterday hooking up a temporary water system for the Millar Addition through the use of fire hoses.
A, bulldozer cleared the huge pile of rubble from Porden Avenue late yesterday and It is'expected a permanent main will tie installed by tonight to replace the one torn loose in the wash-out!
In 1922 the tod wot turned for the original construction of the Westminster Paper Company plant at New Westminster by J. J. Herb, chairmen of the board. Thirty years later Mr. Herb occupies the same role in turning the sod for the $2,000,000 expansion program recently announced by the company which, includes installation of the third paper machine this year. Raw pulp from the new $25,000,000 mill near Prince George will eventually feed this plant. With Mr. Herb are four members of the staff who started with the company 30 years ago. They are (left to right): James Young, Max Bailey, assistant superintendent; Mr. Herb; Louis W. Humphrey, general superintendent, and Clarence Taylor, assistant superintendent.
This week "Clean Up, Paint Up, Fix tTp" will be the theme of a community beantification program In Prince George sponsored by the Junior Chamber of Commerce.
The Jaycees are reminding as that homes need .sprucing up, back yards and lanes should be raked aud unsightly litter removed, lawns and vacant lots cleared of the winters accumulation of refuse, fences repaired and painted.
Beautifying the neighborhood should start with improving the appearance of our own property. Every householder can and should make some contribution to the success of this drive on ugliness and filth. Their reward will come in the knowledge that they are protecting their own health and that of others, and at the same time making our city attractive for the many visitors expected here this summer.
$50,000 FIRE RAZES STONE CR. PLANER
Flames from 'a $50,000 planer-mill fire lit the early morning sky south of here Friday as fire completely destroyed the Stone Creek plant owned and operated by\^'Brien Lumber Company,         x^
In addition^ the mill and surrounding buildiin^ the flames consumed close to Half a million board feet of lumber Stacked in the yard ready for vplanihg and shipping.    �                      \s
A company official said that-no explanation of the blaze has yet been found.
The crackling flames caught the five men employed at the mill *at the time in their bunks. Fighting the fire was futile, observers state.
Normally the planing mill employs about 10 men. It was built by the O'Brien Company last December and had only been in operation a few months.
Frank Hewlett Heads City Truckers Group
Prank Hewlett, well known city truckline operator ..and sportsman,- was elected president last week of a revitalized Prince George  Truckers  Association.
The organization was revived as a means to combat inroads on local trucking work by operators from other parts of the province.
Keeping available local work for, local operators will be one of the main purposes of the association.
In addition, the association will act as an information centre for builders in need of trucks. By contacting association officers, contractors can engage trucks or find out how many are available at any given time.
Other officers elected last week were D. Pacquette, vice-president, R. Burgess, C. Edson, J. Esau, R. Ewen, J. Houghtaling, N. Fast, D. Corless, N. Peacock, H. Loder.
About 24 district truckers were present at the meeting.
School By-Law Topic Of Meeting Wednesday
Harold Moffat, chairman of the building committee of the school board, will be the featured speaker     at  a   meeting  of  the   High
P.G. Gas System May Cost Over $1,500,000
A natural gas distribution system here will cost an estimated million and a half dollars to construct, a member of a group wishing to get a sales franchise hdre stared last week.
hit Action Averts Mill Disaster Here
He said that following negotiations with Westcoast Transmission Company Ltd., promoters of a proposed pipeline from Alberta's Peace River district to the Lower Mainland, his group had determined that gas here would sell about 25 per cent cheaper than fuel oil on an equal B.T.U. basis.
Cost of distributing gas, here may be increased, he said, by the necessity of constructing a feeder line from the city to a point j
on  the  main  pipeline.     Present I day.
Prompt action on the part of Prince George Planing Mills employees and city firefighters averted with little more than a few hundred dollars damage a blaze which could have ripped through the entire mill area north of First- Avenue on Satur-
plans of Westcoast Transmission i:ompany call for the pipeline to pass southwards a few miles from.Prince George.
He said that the main pipeline project would cost well over $100,000,000 but that he had assurances from high Westcoast officials that the line will be completed sometime next year.
Under provincial law, municipal voters must vote approval of the granting of a franchise before
Damaged    by Prince    George
the    fire    was Planing    Mills'
green-chain where the flames, broke out.
An official of the mill said that exact cause of the fire is not known.
He praised mill employees who rushed to extinguish the flames and commented favorably on the actions of city firemen.
Although quelled with little difficulty despite high winds, the
City Council can sign a contract. | mill     official said  it could well Even with that accomplished, the' have ended  in a  large-scale  dis-
School  P-TA     Wednesday' night [entire project then has to be ap-(aster.
which all parents and tax-payers
.proved   by   the   Public   Utilities Commission.
Under the present-policy of the
of  Prince  George  are  urged  to attend.
Mr. Moffat will discuss the commission, any private company forthcoming school by-law and I obtaining a franchise here would indicate something of the school [do so on the condition that it suilding future.
programme    for    the I would serve every outlet deemed
The meeting. will. commence at 8:15 p.m. in the high school library.
Also on the programme will be an exhibition of square dancing  high school students directed by Miss Mary Clunas.
Heavy Fine Levied On Bootlegging Count
One of the  largest fines  ever _.............
levied" here   for   a   first  offense |not be required to do this.
economically possible, and would not serve any outlet economically inadvisable.
Administration of the company's affairs, even the profits hl-lowed, would be governed by the P.U.C.
Although     a  private  company (would be forced to put in a com-iplete  installation     supplying  all j parts of the city right at the outset, the city could install its own distribution  system     and   would
bootlegging charge was handed out by Magistrate G. H. Hallett Saturday when he ordered a Van-Bow district resident to pay $500 and costs.  .
Convicted was Matt Chdrriey, whose residence yielded a quantity of liquor to R.C.M.P. raiders on Easter week-end.
Chorney was convicted on the testimony of four police cqns-tables and two juveniles.
The    juveniles    testified    they
had purchased liquor accused.            "    ,
from the
While a private company might be forced into a million and a half dollar investment before it could operate, the city might get by with considerably Jess.
Reckless   Driver  Fined
Lynn Whitecotton,'age 20, was convicted of reckless driving in police court here Saturday and was fined $50 and costs.
Whitecotton pleaded not guilty to the charge before Stipendiary Magistrate G. H. Hallett.
'A fire such as this points up the need for a complete city water and fire-protection system down here,"~he said.
He stated that the blaze might have got out of control had it not been for his firm's own high-pressure water system.
500,000 BLAZE AT VANCOUVER
VANCOUVER, April 21 (CP)� A $500,000 fire Sunday destroyed a four-storey warehouse here containing stored belongings of scores of families.    �
Ten firemen were overcome by smoke in fighting what was the biggest industrial district fire here in two years.
Destroyed was Bowman Storage and Cartage Ltd. warehouse on east end Powell Street.
Insurance adjusters gave a preliminary damage estimate of "well over half a million dollars."
Frederick R. Armstrong, company manager, said the contents, such things as furniture and a variety of household effects, were apparently a total loss. Fire origin was not determined.     i