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Largest Circulation of Any Semi-Weekly Newspaper in British Columbia
No. 24
Prince George, B.C., THURSDAY, Marcfc 26, 1953
$4.00 per year 5^ per copy
"Standing Room Only" sign was out at the School auditorium lost night for the first ing of Prince George's folk festival. Above, [Dutch group dances to the accordion music of er Petrus, Jr. At left, Miss Grietje Petrus and
Casimeir Kadxiolka; centre, Mr. and Mrs. William Baerveldt. At right Mrs, Willy Louwe's partner, Charles Hoga, is hidden behind Miss Lida Baerveldt who is dancing with Jacques Seigneuret.
ivernment's Fall Cost �� George $100,000
'Impossible Situation" Says Alderman
(Months of work on a 1953 municipal budget went down {rain here Tuesday night with the fall of the Social Credit rnment and the city is now faced with an ''impossible lion," in the words of city finance chairman Alderman im D. Ferry.
government's fall shook eat of municipal authority in George because it took , the Rolston formula for. U of education costs. It mi this biir that the govern-was defeated and it was on passage of this bill that the
1953 budget was based. teat of the bill means that pe George, instead of paying $120,000 for education costs year, will pay $220,000.
couldn't raise that extra Int even if we resorted to ling the present rate of tax-" Alderman Ferry said. Worship Mayor Dezell said, jn't know what we are going at this time. I really don't, is one of the most serious |tions which the city has ever
stated that any plans for municipal expansion of Ices from general revenue lhave to be scrapped with the pie exception of purchase of
1600 h.p. diesel generating
must have that power no |er how much we have to give iducation. Our whole economy ased on power," the mayor
Sderman Ferry thought that of the additional money reed might come from paring mmental- estimates to the
doubt very much that we find $100,000 this way
igh," he added, special meeting of the city
icil will ,be held tonight to
gh the city's position.
to municipal officials has never received its fair share of S.S. and M.A. tax monies, will have to find about $220,000 out of general revenue for education' purposes after deducting an anticipated $60,000 municipal aid grant from (See $100,000, Page 8)
RED CROSS WANTS SPEED IN CANVASS
The Red Cross is urging its canvassers to "speed it up" as the campaign enters its closing phases with $4000 of the $4500 objective reached.
W. G. MacLean, chairman, is confident the objective will be reached, but urges canvassers who have not completed their work to "really push."
Mr. MacLean said he has received donations from very few .of.the mills in the district, which
IAN OGG BURIED IN CALIFORNIA
A pioneer Prince George family was bereaved Monday morning by the death.in Millbrae, California, of Ian Ogg, 33-year-old employee of Pan-American Airlines.
His parents, Mr. and Mrs. | Thomson Ogg, left here by plane Friday and arrived at their son's bedside a few hours before his death.
Born in Fernie, B.C., the young airline executive joined the Royal Bank staff after completing his education in Prince George schools. During the last war he went to work at the city airport for Pan-American Airlines and later was transferred to White-horse. He had been stationed at Los Angeles, Cal., airport since 1950.
He is survived by his wife, the former Evelyn -Whiting ..of. Prince George; two daughters, Sharon, 13, and Blair, 4; one son, Tommy, 10; a brother, William, at Trail, and two sisters, Mrs. Don Morris of Abbotsford and Mrs. Fred MacMillan of New Westminster.
Burial took place yesterday afternoon at Millbrae. according to
are being canvassed, and expressed the hope they will forward their donations immediately.
Last year's quota of $4300 for the district was over-subscribed and the Red Cross hopes Prince
Body of Boy, 3, Found Under Willow River fee
A small puppy is waiting anxiously bur in vain at his home today for his three-year-old master to return from a fatal walk which led him yesterday into the frigid waters of
Willow River.
After a frantic : search which commenced at the small mill community around 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon, the body of little
this morning'the boy's body was found.
The only child of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Laidlaw, Jimmy was out
Jimmy Laidlaw was taken {rom'Playing yesterday and apparently the river this morning only a few wandered away from his home.
hundred feet from where his tiny footsteps led to the edge of shore ice.
Jimmy's puppy, who accompanied the youngster yesterday when he roamed away from home, returned from the adventure alone. ALL NIGHT SEARCH
Residents of Willow River spent a sleepless night searching for Jimmy along the shore and from rowboats.
As the anxiety of the youngster's parents increased, the men turned to' breaking the ice along the river to see if Jimmy's body had slipped beneath.
A few minutes before 9 o'clock
Festival To Be Given Again Monday Night
Due to popular demand, the Folk Festival will be performed a third time on Monday night at the high school.
Producer Don.Bridges made the announcement at the performance last night, saying that there' had been at least 250. requests for tickets to the festival -which could not be filled.
Second performance of the festival will be given tonight, A capacity audience saw last night's show. Tickets will "be available for the Mondays-night, perform-
ance.
George will repeat again this year.
Mrs. N. Wood head man of the drive.
this effort
is co-chair-
The Weather
A dreary prediction of scattered showers of rain and snow is made by the weatherman today.
However, winds will be light and temperatures mild. Overnight low will be 25,' with a high Friday of 50.
Lieut.-Gov. Wallace Holds Fate Of B.C. Legislature
VICTORIA, March 26�Lieutenant-Governor Clarence Wallace is wrestling with one of the toughest constitutional issues in British Columbia political history. His dilemma:
Searchers found his tracks on the snow bearing mute testimony to his aimless wanderings in search of the way back, and late yesterday they found the footsteps leading to the edge of river ice.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police were on the scene this morning to aid in the search.
Robert Laidlaw, the boy's father, has been a resident of Willow River for some years. He is employed by the Geddes Lumber Company.
T=--------------------------------------
12 MILES PAYING HERE THIS YEAR
Close to 12 miles of hot-mix pavement will be laid in and around Prince George this year by the Provincial Department of Public Works, it was disclosed today by divisional engineer D. D. Godfrey.
The paving project in this district will see the first section of hot-mix asphalt ever laid orr the Cariboo Highway from the-Prince George end. -
This project will see top-quality pavement laid from the Fraser River Bridge at the extreme east end of the city to a point nine miles south of here.
The Department of Public Works decision to authorize permanent-type surfacing from this end of the strategic Cariboo Higb-way came after such a course of action had been advocated to a variety of governments over the past several years by the Prince George Board of Trade.
Until this year, hot-mix asphalt had only been used by the northbound surfacing crews whibh at the end of the 1952 construction season were still 290 miles from. Prince George.
Top quality asphalt will also be laid along the east half of First Avenue within the city limits and along that portion of the Northern. Trans Provincial Highway between the end of Victoria Street and Prince George cemetery.
Salmon Span Plan Strapped For '53
Truckers Hit By Surprise Move
Plans to construct a $125,000 steel and concrete bridge over the Salmon River on the Hart Highway this year have been scrapped according to information from Victoria.
A Provincial Public Works De-
!rince George, which according word received here today.
Ik Festival Captivates last Night's Audience
Lavish Costumes Draw Comment
Prince George is filled with cosmopolitan color and gaiety �week as the first city Folk Festival opened to a capacity iience .in the high school last night.
The
festival 'will be repeated tonight; Students had a preview" at the dress re-irsal Monday1.
he brilliant spectacle, presently 85 performers representing nations, drew enthusiastic re- from the audience and il-grated how the culture and pitions ol the home lands of Canadians can enrich and Color to the Canadian scene, special comment was elicited 1
by the elaborate and lavish costuming which transformed the stage into a colorful spectacle, and by the amazing variety of talent displayed.
The extravaganza has so caught the imagination of Prince George that this has become "Folk Festival" week here, and tickets for tonight's performance have vanished as quickly as those of a New York hit.
(Continued on Page 6)
Whether to grant Social Credit Premier Bennett's request for dissolution of the 48-member Legislature and hold a provincial general election, or to ask CCF Leader Harold Winch to form a government.
Mr. Bennett and � Mr. Winch beat a path to . the Lieutenant Governor's door Wednesday following a 27 to'IS defeat of the minority Social Credit government in the Legislature Tuesday night in the vote on a bill which would have changed the system of financing education.
The Lieutenant-Governor's problem stems from the fact that the Social Credit and CCF ; are bo evenly matched numerically in the House.'
Standing in the Legislature is: Social Credit 19, CCF 18, Liberals six, Progressive Conservatives two, Labor one, and vacant two.
Tom Uphill, veteran Labor member for Fernie, said he would support the CCF if it formed a government, thus giving the socialists a strength of 19.
The Vancouver Daily Province quoted "authoritative sources" as saying the Lieutenant-Governor would refuse Mr. Winch's bid to become B.C.'s first CCF premier.
Meanwhile, party leaders are apparently getting ready for an election.
Mr. Bennett discussed with opposition leaders the passage o� supply bill so government business can be carried on. The Legislature has not authorized expenditure of any money except $100,-|000 Eor European flood relief;
It appears certain the Social Credit will be allowed to continue in office until the non-contentious bills are passed.
CCF, Liberal and Progressive Conservative leaders are sorting out bills which they would regard as non-contentious. The opposition might be willing to vote six months supply�meaning another Legislature session in the fall following an election.
partment official said today that the much-needed Salmon River Bridge was struck from the department's estimates for undisclosed reasons.
Branded- as the weakest link in the multi-million dollar highway to the Peace River, the present ramshackle Salmon River span will have to see at least one more year's service. CK1PPL1& TRUCKING
According to Harry Loder, city warehouse and truck operator as well as chairman of the Prince George Board of Trade's transport committee, absence of the new-bridge this year will "effectively cripple all proposed commercial trucking and will have a very adverse effect on lumber operations hauling their products to Prince George from north of the Salmon
I Valley."
j Mr. Loder, upon hearing the news that the bridge has been wiped from the estimates, said he would immediately, wire the Minister of Public Works urging reconsideration. "HAMSTRUNG"
Truckers hauling over the Hart Highway, will be "hamstrung" by the present dilapitated bridge over which maximum loads must not exceed 15 tons, the transportation committee chairman said. ! Asked the condition of the present wooden span, a public works official said that the present load restrictions must be en-
forced for the sake of public safety.
News that construction of the new bridge has been postponed struck like, a bombshell among trucking circles. ... ,�
Most "truckers, including the large Peace River freighting firm. Northern Freight ways Ltd., had taken for granted that it would be built early this year.
First news that the bridge was under consideration came last summer, and when it was included in the Public Works Depart-men's estimates this year it seemed a certainty.
COMMONWEALTH MOURNS QUEEN
$50,000 less For Highway Protects Here This Year
Provincial Department of Public Works officials in the Fort George district will have $50,000 less project money to work with this year than they did in 1952, it was learned this
week.
Asked by The Citizen what funds had been provided for projects this year, a local works official named three proposed developments costing a total of �120,000.
Last year the Fort George district had $170,000 for local projects. ,
The three permanent improvement jobs named by the official were reconstruction of six miles of the Cariboo Highway a few miles south of Prince George at a cost of $90,000, construction of approaches to the new Tete Jaune bridge over the Fraser River in the McBride area and reconstruction of an eight .mile
section of Northern Trans-Provincial Highway between Croyden and Dunster.
The Cariboo Highway project will include the portionXnot paved last year between 9-Mile Corner and Cale Creek.
This project, which includes installation of a fill and culvert at the Cale Creek location, will take the last jog out of one of the longest straight stretches of highway in British Columbia.
Last year, after a grant of $120,000 in project money had been made, an additional $55,000 was provided foiv reconstruction work on the Cariboo Highway lying north of Woodpecker.
Flags atop public and private buildings in Prince George were lowered to half mast Tuesday when news reached the city of the death earlier in the day of Queen Mary.
The 85-year-old grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II died after a prolonged battle with a" gastric ailment.
Queen Marry will have a state funeral Tuesday and will be buried at Windsor, the royal castle outside London.
She will lie beside the bodies of her husband, King George V, and the son she outlived, King George VI.
There will be a period of court mourning, but in keeping with the dowager queen's wish, plans for the coronation of her granddaughter will not be disturbed.
Queen Mary, often called the "grandmother of England," was the widow of King George V, who died in 1936.