An Independent Semi-We*ly Newtpoper Devoted to the I en nterett of Central and Northern British Columbia (Vol. 35; No. 48 Prince George, B.C., THURSDAY, June 19, 1952 $4.00 per year 5^ per, copy VICTORIA, June 19 (CP)-The British Columbia Government announced toddy the 265-mile John Hart Highway from Dawson Creek to Prince George will be officially opened July J. The seven-year project has cost an estimated $10,000,000. Road Opening Set For July 1 TRAIL ASSOCIATION, TRADE BOARDS PLAN INTERNATIONAL RALLY AT PARSNIP BRIDGE Tentative arrangements are being rushed by backers of "the shortest route to Alaska" for a monster picnic and rally at the Parsnip River on July 1 to mark the official opening of the John Hart Highway. --------~�---------------------------- A. G. Bowie of Prince George returned Saturday from Kelowna where he attended a directors' meeting of the Okanagan Cariboo NEW C.N.R. LINE WILL SERVE KITIMAT Trail Association who have been advised by E. G. Rowebottom, deputy minister, Department of Trade and Industry, and other B.C. officials that contractors will have completed a temporary pile 1) ridge across the Parsnip in time for the Dominion Day ceremonies. Prince George Board of Trade and Dawson Creek Chamber of Commerce will take the lead in organizing the celebration. J. J. Hodgkinson, president of speakers at the opening function. With confirmation of the July 1 date, a large contingent of O.C.T.A. officials and members will assemble here June 30 to attend a banquet sponsored by Prince George Board of Trade. They will be accompanied by a corps of newspapermen and leading citizens from California, Oregon and Washington states and B.C.'s Okanagan Valley. Next day they will join a long caravan of Prince George motorists for the 100-mile trek to the bridge site. Following the opening ceremonies in the early afternoon, many are expected to motor to Dawson Creek, Mile "O" on the Alaska Highway, where they wili be entertained by the Chamber of Dawson Creek Chamber of Commerce, states he expects more than 400 cars to make the 140- Commerce and other civic groups, mile trip to the Parsnip River j Unconfirmed reports from the from his city. Included in the parsnip River today state the party wiLL.be .members of the contracUM? *re- rushing work on the wooden crossing and expect (See ROAD OPENING, Page A) Stevedores Refuse Non-Union lumber Repercussions of the woodworkers' strike on the Lower Mainland may be felt here ff any uncertified mill operations in this district intend to consign lumber to Vancouver for loading on ships. Howard Webb, business agent for the striking International Woodworkers of America in Prince George said that the A.F. of L. Longshoremen's union is cooperating With the I.W.A. on ship loadings and that no non-union lumber will be handled. He said non-certified sawmills and planers here can not get lumber loaded in Vanco'uver. Outlining the procedure to be followed by local union-certified mills if the services of longshoremen are required, Mr. Webb said shop stewards will report to him the car numbers of union lumber and he in turn will authorize handling of the contents by the brother union. Eight carloads of lumber not produced in union operations are sitting in Vancouver, Mr Webb ' said. "It will just wait there until the strike is over. The longshoremen won't touch it," he told the itizen. Even lumber which has been cut at an uncertified sawmill but dressed at a certified planing mill will not be eligible for an I.W.A. contract authorizing loading by the longshoremen. Although only a very small quantity of the lumber produced n this district is shipped out of Vancouver, the water-export trade may become increasingly attrac- '� tlve to local lumbermen now that Lower Mainland supplies are cut off. Dawson Creek bagpipe band: An invitation to attend has been forwarded to John Hart, former premier of British Columbia, whose name was given-the new highway. It was during his administration that work was started on the "route north of ! Summit Lake and west from Dawson Creek. Another distinguished visitor is expected to be Mrs. Eva Anderson, member of the Washington State legislature, and a vigorous champion of the new direct route to her country's northern possession. , It is hoped Jhat Mrs. Anderson and Mr. Hart will be the chief Four Charged With 'Auto Parts Thefts Four youths were arrested here this week and charged with thefts of automobile parts and accessories. Charges have been laid against Arthur Brooks, Wilbur Whitecot-ton, Allistair Holt and Morris Henderson. R.C.M.P. stated today that all items recovered by police in the youth's possession had not yet been fully identified. Providing an all-roil route via Prince George for aluminum ingots consigned to fabricating plants at Toronto and Kingston, Onr., work will start soon on construction of a 46-mile, $10,000,000 branch line to connect Terrace with the huge Aluminum Company off Canada smelter at Kitimat. The line, which is expected to be in operation late in 1954, will traverse some off the most rugged mountain country in B.C. It it estimated that 2,300,000 cubic yards of material�enough to make a pile twice os big as New York's Empire State Building�will be moved to provide the right-of-way. First engineering problem to be encountered will be the crossing of the Skeena River near Terrace. Here the Canadian National Railways will build an eight-span bridge, 1,013 feet long. ----- Extra tonnage for the branch line will come from a large pulp and paper mill contemplated for the Kitimat region for which Alcan will supply power from It* giant Keniano hydro-electric installation. Jaycees Jilted By Car nival Company Central B.C.'s roads are said to be responsible for lack of a carnival show here next week-end and at the Prince George Junior Chamber of Commerce July 1 celebration. Despite a written agreement to City Group May Drill For Oil This Summer A test well up to 5,000 feet in depth in search of oil or natural gas. will likely be drilled within 30 miles of Prince George this summer, on official of a city exploration company disclosed this morning. Charles East, city engineer and a director of Prince George Explorations Syndicate, said his group has 100,000 acres of district land under permit and that a prominent Edmonton geologist, Percy Page, is expected here this week to do a preliminary survey of the property. In all, there are about 400,000 acres of potential oil lands under Private lease in this district, Mr. East said.. An Edmonton man holds 200,- 000 acres under lease in the JHan- sd of- area. The Exploration company ficial said that the local firm has land under oil lease near Fort McLeod, Hansard and west of Prince George. "We think we have something very favorable here," he said. Asked about the antipipated gas t, Mr. East said half jok- gy We may beat Westcoast Transmission Company here with natural gas." No proper picture of the strata to be encountered and the chances �f striking oil can be seen until a test well is drilled, the engineer went on. He said that intentions of the ocal group are to try to get preliminary drilling under way before winter. ' Shake-Up Hinted For Old line Parties VICTORIA, June 19� British Columbia's Conservative party will discuss its future and its leadership at an executive meeting in Vancouver towards the end of July, it was learned Wednesday. If leader Herbert Anscomh Intends to resign because of the party's apparent poor showing in the June 12 election, indication will come from that meeting. He would ask the executive to call a convention for the purpose of choosing a new leader. So far, however, Mr. Anscomb has given no indication of his future action. A party official has reported that none of the associations have requested a convention. Meanwhile, Mrs. J. L. Gates, president of the B.C. Liberal Association, has issued an emphatic denial that requests for a Liberal convention have come from 10 ridings. However, political observers say they expect to see conventions of both parties in the near future. The question of leadership undoubtedly will be the big issue. appear here over the July 1 weekend, a Jaycee official declared this morning, Imperial Expositions Ltd. will riot set up here. . N. J. Izowsky, vice-president of the Jaycees, said Imperial Shows are falling down on an agreement signed earlier this year by officials of the service club and the carnival outfit. To remedy the situation the Chamber will erect its own attractions at Connaught Baseball Park where the $1100 July, 1 baseball tournament will taice place. Mr. Izowsky said that the Jaycees have received no official word from Imperial, Exposition Shows cancelling the engagement, but word seeping back from their recent stand at Williams Lake Stampede was that they would travel no farther north over what were termed "atrocious roads." According to reports, tne carnival went south from Williams Lake at the close of the stampede and all efforts to trace them so far have failed. "Naturally we are very disappointed," Mr. Izowsky said, "but we feel confident we can make up in a large measure for the absence of the carnival group." Indian Acquitted On Murder Charge NELSON, June 19 CCW�Gregory Nicholas of Kootenay Indian Reserve at Creston was acquitted here Wednesday oh a charge of murdering his wife. Nicholas* wife, Theresa, died in their home last November of shotgun wounds. At his trial, Nicholas said his shotgun, left cocked after a hunting trip, fired accidentally. He and his wife had been drinking, he testified, but there had been no quarrel. City Jaycees Attend Trail Convention Five young businessmen will represent Prince George at the regional convention of the Junior Chamber of Commerce this week. At Trail now to attend the 16th annual convention of British Columbia section of therJCC's which opened today are Len Heibert, Hilliard Clare, Geoff Hill, Harry Astoria and Jim McQuarrle. The convention was expected to attract some 250 delegates from 30 B.C. junior chambers. Following the two-day gather-Ing Clare, Astoria and McQuarrie will leave Trail to attend the national convention which opens In Banff on Monday. President Prank Brinkworth will be official delegate to the meeting there. City Youth Beaten And Robbed On Coast Visit A Prince George youth who left here recently to work as a radio technician for Mannlx Ltd.. at Nechako Damsite on the Alcan project was beaten and robbed In Vancouver this week. Victim, of two thugs who relieved him of $110 in cash and his suit jacket was Geoffrey D. Bridges, a former CKPG announcer here. � Bridges told Vancouver jtoilce tie had been drinking with the two men in a Dunsmuir Street beer parlor. When the tavern closed, the trio a nearby lane. walked towards There the men turned on him Bridges said. Government May Intervene In Strikes VANCOUVER, June 19 (CP) � Strikes, which have made nearly 40,000 British Columbia workers idle, were under cabinet scrutiny Wednesday in Victoria. Premier Byron Johnson called his cabinet Into session during the afternoon to discuss the strikes and" lockouts �fn construction an(J lumber industries. No announcement was made. A few hours earlier, C.C.F. leader Harold Winch had demanded Mr. Johnson intervene in the mushrooming labor disputes. Mr. Johnson, shortly before the cabinet meeting, declined comment. Strike of 32,000 woodworkers, members of International Woodworkers of America, started four days ago. There was no Immediate signs of either workers' or operators'" representatives moving toward reopening of negotiations. Some 3,200 carpenters are on strike or locked-out by contractors in greater Vancouver and Vancouver Island cities. Story-Book Ending To Search For Missing Amnesia Vktim The* long arm of coincidence reached all the �way from Kenora, Ontario, to Red Pass Junction just east of here last week to positively identify an amnesia victim missing from his home in Kenora for two years. Vancouver Ballots Guarded VANCOUVER, June 19