en An Independent Semi-Weekly Newspaper Derated to the Interest ov % *ral and Northern British Columbia Vol. 35; No. *2 Prince George/ B.C., THURSDAY, Ma. tr, 1952 $4.00 per year 5^ per copy THE WEATHER Variable cloudiness the remainder oi today and on Friday, predicts the weatherman, A few* widely scattered showers are expected tomorrow afternoon, with, westerly winds/of 15 m.p.h. in some valleys also tomorrow afternoon. Little change in temperature is foreseen, with low tonight and high tomorrow likely to be 35 and 65 degrees. Premier Seeking Solution To Interior's Power Problem Premier Byron Johnson all but sounded the death knell over the proposed Quesnel River hydro plan before a crowd of close to 300 people in the Princess Theatre Tuesday night but he left the door wide open to further study of cheap power for this area. investigations of the British Columbia Power Commission revealed, the Premier said, that a power development on the north fork of the Quesnel River would cost twice as much as a similar installation on the south fork where the , power scheme ran afoul of the International Salmon Commission. Potential on the north fork of the river is only 60,000 h.p., he said. As an alternative solution to the power problem of the Interior, the Liberal leader said, the B.C. ?ow�r Commission had, been asked to prepare preliminary estimates on the cost of producing cheap power from natural gas,; but had replied that the cost would be greater, than even the North Fork hydro development. Premier Johnson said that when the original pledge of cheap power for this area had been made three years ago, no salmon had been running up the economically-feasible south fork for 25 years. He disclosed that the fisheries authorities expect more than a million salmon to spawn in the south fork this year, however, as a result of the Hell's Gate fish ladders. The Premier assured listeners that the government would eventually" supply power to tbia district although it might not be as cheap as was thought possible with the original Quesnel River plan. Allaying the fea� �* lumber-(See BYRON JOHNSON Page 23) 450 CHILDREN GET WHOOPING COUGH IMMUNIZATION Immunisation injections numbering over 450 hare been administered at the Cariboo Health Unit since Monday morning in an effort to stamp out further spread of a whooping cough outbreak which so ^r has take* on* Ufa and hit more than 40 children in tha PREMIER JOHNSON PARSNIP SPAN READY IN JUNE Motorists will be crossing the Parsnip River, the last gap on the 244-mile Hart Highway, over a temporary pile structure late in June, according to a representative of the contractors now at the bridge site, 100 miles north of Prince George. This week more than 20 bridge-men and *barpenters have been erecting three bunk-houses and a cook-house to accommodate a crew of 100 to be employed when work starts on the permanent steel and concrete span. All necessary material for the temporary bridge has been assembled on the west bank of the Parsnip, and at the rate the river �is receding from, the spring high-water level, pile drivers will swing into action Monday. The river fell two feet last week. A weight limit will be placed on loads using the temporary bridge. Recent visitors to the Parsnip River from Prince George included Agriculture Minister Harry Bowman, Mayor Garvin Dezell and Jack Paschal. City Council Set To Spend $44,650 To Finish'Centre' Ma/or Garvin Dezell announced this morning that Council is willing to go ahead with a $44,650 expenditure oq the Civic Centre when a way is found to spend the money in accordance with the Municipal Act. � The Mayor said a special committee meeting of the Council last night mo.ved to back a request for completion from the Civic Pipeline Party Surveys Hart Highway Route First business trip from Dawson Creek to Prince George over the John Hart Highway was competed Tuesday with the arrival here of a group of engineers of Westcoast Trans- mission Co. Ltd. George Phillips, engineer for Dr. H. T. Lowe, Cariboo Health Unit director, said that public response to the need for Immunization is increasing. He urged that all parents get their children immunized as soon as possible to halt further spread of whooping cough. Dr. Lowe disclosed that immunization takes more than two weeks to build up and children '�an contact the disease In the intervening period between the injection and the creation of immunization in "their systems. He estimated that it may be a month before the outbreak really comes to a halt By that time most children who have been inoculated should have built up "mmunization. �nly two new cases are known of officially since Monday, the health doctor stated, but complete sports will not "be In until Saturday and the actual figure may De considerably greater than that. . Public health nurses are administering immunization injections at the Cariboo Health Unit and will continue to do so until the disease -wanes. Jnjectiona^are.of the triple-tox-oid type which simultaneously Provide protection against whoop-m? cough, diptheria and tetanus. Children who have already contacted whooping cough .generally the company which plans to build a natural gas pipeline by way of prince George from Alberta's Pease River district to Vancouver, said he believed no major problems would be encountered In lay-Ing the pipeline along the northern portion of the route, which would skirt the Alaska and Hart highways. Phillips, who heads a land survey party on the projected pipeline project recently approved by the Alberta Conservation Board, said plans were going ahead rapidly but declined to estimate a starting date for construction. The engineers started the preliminary survey at Fort St. John, and travelled 50 miles along the Alaska Highway to Dawsbn Creek. They then covered the 244 miles of new highway from Daw-son Creek to this city. Beyond stating that it was a "minor interruption," the. party refused to comment on the manner in which they had crossed the Parsnip River. � -*� � ' � Local Redcoats Head For Duty In Arctic Two Royal Canadian Mounted Police constables well' known in the Prince George area left here by plane Sunday to start three year terms of northern service in the Northwest Territories and the Arctic. The pair are Constable C. M. Thomas, until last, week a member of the Prince George city detachment, and Constable H. *K. Hodgson, formerly of Prince George and recently of Vander-hoof. Under R.C.M.P. regulations, volunteers for the lonely northern service posts must agree to serve three years there. Both men will probably be attached to the Yellowknlfe Detachment for a short time before being posted to more isolated points. build a strong Immunization against it themselves. Dr. Lowe repeated a warning ade by him earlier this week all parents whose children ct coughs or i�ho dhow of sickness should lmmedi- f sick la y contact family physlc- Campaign Manager To Speak For Socreds Last of the leading figures of B.C.'s four major political groups to appear in Prince George, E. G. Hansell, M.P., B.D., Social Credit campaign manager for this province, will speak in the C.C.F. Hall next Monday at 8 p.m. jrfr. Hansell will outline the party's plans for this province on behalf of Lew L. King, candidate for Fort George riding, who will address the meeting. . Centre Association, but certain legal difficulties .must first be overcome. Funds for the completion project will come out of sale of lands money which according to provincial law can be spent. only on project of equal benefit to all members of the municipality. Mayor Dezell said there are two ways in which the completion project might be accomplished.. One would t�e by a grant from the city to the association owning the structure, and the other would involve the city taking over ownership of the civic centre building and grounds. An application to the Inspector of Municipalities, B.C. Brace-well, will go forward today in an effort to determine whether the city can make such a big . grant. Mayor Dezell said a plebiscite might be required, in which case work on completing the building might not actually get under Way for some months. A Prince George Civic Centre Association delegation approached the Council over two weeks ago with a list of estimates on factors required for completion of .the. building. ., Included on the list were items of $10,000 for a stucco or painted-siding exterior, $3000 for insulating, $8000 for a 60 per cent hardwood floor, $7000 for a forced �air-heating system, $4500 for a seven-year roof, $7000 for plumbing and J ing, including stage lighting, will cost about $2500. If the only method of making the grant required the city to assume ownership so the expenditure could be accounted for in a book asset, the entire installation might be leased back to the Civic Centre Association for a nominal fee each year to be operated by them. Mayor Dezell said the Council expects word back from Victoria very shortly on whether the funds can be delivered as a grant. Geological Party To Examine Tefkwa Mine A geological party made up of three University of British Columbia students passed through here yesterday en route to an abandoned copper mine a few miles from Telkwa to determine whether the mine is completely worked out. The trio is empLoyed by Trans-Continental Resources Ltd., a development company interested In the old Copper Ridge area where the mine Is located. Members of the party were Don Donaldson, Joe Weoner and Malcolm Findlayson. 'Criticism'' Prompts Move Steward Quits Post As City Electrician Resignation of city electrical superintendent John Steward was accepted by,Ciry Council in a surprise move Monday night-Steward Was not present at the, Council meeting but a letter writ-.ctty's position of importance 500 LEAVE JOBS ON ALCAN TUNNEL VANCOUVER, May 29