y Sight CNR Bandit its 5 Years In Pen
23-year-old city youth walked out of a Prince George _om Friday, afternoon en route to the B.C. Penitentiary !he will spend the next five years for the July 31 armed
of the C.N.R. Station here.
ri Lush, alias' Edward �----------------------------------------
........"RATEPAYERS MEET
WATER,
pleaded guilty to arnv' iv with an offensive before County Court Henry Castillou on Friday.1 for the accused, L. E. j \\\, pleaded excessive use of' an extenuating -"------
� counsel H. R. Fretwell with the court a previous I record involving four
oils.
entered the C.N.R. ticket
p.m
irst y
on July 31 and,after i
around for a few minted clerk Bill Checkley if ild change a $20 bill.
Checkley, returned from lie ifound himself staring
muzzle of a .22 calibre Jrevolver. � � h<\ over the money," was Idup man's command. �clerk handed over $118 in jiid the unmasked bandit
� nit a nearby door onto |eet and vanished.
in a tip, police went to cafe later the same day rested Lush as he entered, made a statement to police after his arrest admitting Idup.
use of liquor was pleaded |d time on Friday as a fact-j false pretenses case origin-Vanclerhoof.
� Coje, a transient, was (1 to a year in jail for is-$750 worthless cheque for
fsc or a car from K. L. John-,'and'ei'hoof last November, e counsel Blundell said t was drunk when he is-cheque.
of eight previous crim-liivictions was entered by IS. Perry, acting for the
ioes
Lead
410
of voting by the. i and late returns
result service
II over the week-end from s aiong the Alaskan High-ic 100-vote lead gained by Leboe, Social Credit can-ii last week's federal elec-is increased by one .vote leorgc M, Murray, Liberal �tta who represented tfie in the last Dominion par-it.
jla.m Irvine, who carried the
Colors, lost ground in the
[�turns and now trails Mr.
Shy 1217 votes. He was be-102 votes when the polls August. 10.
small polls, Commotion land Mile 147, are still un-ed. according to Tommy fehael, returning officer. st standings give Leboe Murray 5134 and I lowing the Dominion-wide I'lh'e armed service vote gave votes, Leboe 25 and
CCF SC .LIB
polls reporting were:
Creek 2 12
� elsoir., 1(5 �11
'olstin,
300 24 SO
Jelsori,
ort 13 1G
32V6,-
'hot River '�' 8 9
nt Lake 7 17
The provincial government and the city have both washea1 their hands of the fringe area, president Fred Gray told a meeting of the Prince George Ratepayers Association in the Eagles Hall Thursday night.
Speaking of the need for water, power and -sewer services in the new areas annexed by the city, he asked "How- many can afford to put these in by themselves?" ,
The meeting made plans' to take the names and addresses of all persons without services, and prepare a map marked with these homes, to present to the city.
It was moved that the city council instal a water system adequate for the needs of Prince George and enlarge water bylaws to cover the entire city.
Plans were also drawn up to cover.the entire city to build up membership and support. Membership cards were distributed to the persons present.
Experimental Farm Rose Bush Produces Freak
Apparently inspired by the scientific care that surrounds it, a rose bush at the Dominion Experimental Station has come up with a freak blossom.
The little "sport" is a perfectly formed rose, except for its coloring. One half of the blossom is red, and the other half is pure white.
The coloring of the flower is perfectly divided, with no smearing of the red into the white.
In the centre of the bloom, where the color division takes place, several petals are half white, and half red, as though they had been carefully painted.
Every other blossom on the bush is pure red. }
PROVINCIAL LIBRARY
VICTORIA, B. C.
An Independent Semi-'
en
Newspaper Demoted'to' the Interest of Central and Northern British Columbia
Vol. 36; No. 65
Prince George, B.C., MONDAY, August 17, 1953
$4.00 per year 5^ per copy
B.C. Cheats City Of $55,000 Tax Sum
Prince George, British Columbia's forgotten city as far as. provincial government recognition is concerned, took its worst beating on record when it came to distribution of municipal aid and motor vehicle revenues this year. '.
This fact was disclosed this week with release by the govern-
fusing to recognize the city's
mrn^of'VtVdi7HbuUonrto0''muni- growth in the form of a larger cipalities throughout the;province. EK^3^^^* a direct
bearing on taxation here. This year Prince 'George's tax-
bill could have been � almost 2 per cent less if it had received the
Prince George was bilked, of around $55,000 according to the government's own figures.
Although this "cvity has an actual population of 9000 people ac-, saJ"e. share as Prince Rupert, cording to a recent door-to-door Thls cltv s Pj'eht was made census taken by city officials, it worse thls vear because it annex-got $55,000 less than its sister efl an adjacent area containing at .municipality, Prince Rupert, . least 3000 people. whose present population-accord-j ing to the last census was S546.
Despite a population five per cent greater than the western seaport town, Prince George got only 72 per cent as much money.
This city received, according to government figures, n total of $70,213.45. Prince Rupert pocketed $131,542.37. Port Alberni, with a population
PGE Does About Face| City To Buy
On Building Tenders #>iA ftftft 11 ./
'British Columbia's Pacific Great' ^ l*TfVWV ^^ ill't Eastern Railway this week did an j
about-face on a program of award- - City of Prince George's pub-ing a�?�nn�tracl for"construction of ,j ks department will get
over $100,000 worth of buildings,.,., . .
between Prince George and Ques-l'fS first piece of major equip-
nel.
Originally tenders were by invitation only, and 'a half dozen city and Interior contracting firms submitted bids.
Yesterday The Citizen received word from Chief Engineer B. E. Valde of Squamish that a new set of tenders would be called for publicly. It is not known whether the original tenders were opened on the expiry date of July 31.
It is not known why the original tenders were not accepted as sufficient.
Contract for construction of the buildings is now open to all general contractors.
Leboe Named As Works Dept/Czar*
- Divisional Public Works Department engineer Dudley D.
of only 7845, got $121,1*79.92. Nol-' Godfrey this morning identified M.P.-elect Bert R. Leboe as R�"'j the person upon whose advice a'drive against truck overloading
was called off last week.
AIR CADET Derek Noske, son of Mr. and Mrs. B. R. Noske of Prince. George, grips his rifle with authority as he is taught the proper method of holding the weapon for bayonet drill. A mem-1
892.94.
Rossland, with just over half as many people as Prince George, got only $2000 less.
Vernon," with a population almost 1300 less than this city, got a whopping $121,458.81. EARNED TITLE
Prince George earned its title,
"B.C.'s forgotten city," some years ' press today.
Mr. Godfrey was out of town at the time and said he did not learn the facts of the alleged application of pressure on his department until his return.
Mr. Leboe was not available for comment at time of going to
weapon for bayonet drill: A mem-1 agQ WherTits rapid" growth swift-1 ' He will ask Mr. Leboe to give her of Prince George (Rotary) Air | ly overtook the government's an- an explanation of his actions in Cadet Squadron Derek was one , t'iquated method of determining contacting District Engineer,
of 100 Air Cadets chosen from I distribution of municipal aid I Frank Laronde last week and of truckers will find it to their ....."��"�' j suggesting that the drive against! advantage to have the roads pav-
road cracking as a truck with arr 18,000 pound axle loading.
Referring to an earlier statement made by his department in which it was disclosed that the condition of dust coat paving in the district at the end of this year would determine whether permanent paving would be done next year, the engineer said, "I am convinced that the majority
squadrons across Canada to attend monies" the Air Cadets Senior Leaders ' course now in progress at Camp Borden, Ont.
Red Tape Bogs Down Centre Completion
City of Prince George is moving at breakneck pace towards nowhere in its efforts to clean "up paper work in connection with the transfer of the Seventh Avenue civic centre to
municipal ownership. j"------------------------------------------
City Clerk David T. Williams if it keeps growing at its present disclosed this morning that the I pace will soon rival the size of latest hitch in the city's plan to j the centre "itself, Mr. Williams
further complete the centre this year arose in Victoria last, week when the Department of Municipal Affairs said i( could not consider the city's application to spend sales-of-land funds on the building until difficulties surrounding the lease of some adjacent provincial land are cleared tip
15 Part of the Civic Centre grounds 15 were under lease to the Prince
George Civic Centre Association 44 | from the provincial government
and although the association is 32 | willing to assign the lease to the
city, the government must agree - o I to the. assignment official. 17 Waving a civic centre file, which
Inderful Time'
\horee Scouts Back Home ter Cross-Country Trip
'Arrival home last week marked the end of a long and rable journey for local Boy Scouts representing Fort District at the Canadian Scout Jamboree at Ottawa,
said he is doing everything within' his powers to expedite the whole affair.
He explained that when he must do now is get an assignment of the leased land frqin the Civic ^Centre Association and send it to Victoria along with an application to transfer the lease to the municipality.
If the Department of Lands approves the transfer, it will notify the city and the city must then notify the Department of Municipal Affairs.
Original application from the city to spend trust fund monies on the building was made months ago.
According to the present plan, the city will buy the assets of the Civic Centre Association for $7000 and the association will use the money to clear off its liabili-
8 to 26. Lund, John Berdusco, Roy |ey, Fred Baxter, Gordon Bill Tosoff.Don McLeod, Assman, and Jack Houser jrincc George the morning of
by Greyhound, to Ashcrbft.
which
|re they met the special CPR !ont train. A landslide on R line at Revelstoke forced ur via the CNR line to and Edmonton. The train
Jed by CPR from Edmori-Winnipeg. ! hours were clipped off a
[iiled 16-hour. delay by giv-Scout train precedence
all other trains on the line, the boys into Ottawa camp
|pm. July 18. Here Scout Bell, recently returned the Coronation, joined the
camp -was held on Con-Range 20 miles out of Some 2600 boys were it, representing many coun-pf the world." fXVOUS SCHEDULE
week at camp had a strenu-pchedule of opening cere-provincial displays, demotions, sing songs, swim per-
" a tour of Ottawa. |ternization was the theme and most boys took ad-S,e of the opportunity to and become acquainted with
Mexican, Cuban, and American
his neighbor Newfoundland Scouts.
� Bartering ran rife until all supplies of excess badges and clothing ran out.
The camp was arranged in sub-camps, each subcamp a province. Each provincial unit was arranged in Troops, and each troop in patrols. Rations were drawn from Q.M. stores twice daily and cooked by Patrols. .
Rations were good and in most cases well prepared. Ablution huts and canteens were conveniently located. "M A LLETS-ON-HE ADS"
A 40-bed hospital staffed by Army doctors and nurses were full to capacity all week, with cases of poison ivy, infections, "mallets-ori-heads" and such.
A Tuesday tour of Ottawa was thoroughly enjoj'ed by the-B.C. boys. The Parliament Buildings, Museums, Rideau Canal and the swimming pool in the Chateau Laurier being the popular spots.
Provincial displays were a daily part of thq program. Each province in turn was responsible for.a two hour evening show. The best features of these shows were pooled for a two-hour show open to the public Saturday afternoon, July 25.
The B.C. show was very im-(See SCOUTS, Pagte 5)
ties
Mr. Williams
said he did not
know whether the Department of Lands "would approve the transfer of the lease, but he exhibited a letter from Victoria stating that the matter would be given '"consideration."
The city clerk said that it is still quite'probable that a $25,000 expenditure will be made to improve the building, before freeze-up.
Pulva Mfx Crews Busy On Hart Highway
Two Public Works crews are making good progress toward applying a pulva-mix coating to the Hart Highway between Prince George and Summit Lake and there is a possibility the 30-mile stretch will be completed before operations are halted by inclement weather.
One crew working south from Summit Lake has laid four miles of the dust coat mixture and will remain on the job until the end of this month. . .
The gang working from this end has reached a point eight miles from the Nechako- River bridge. Work on the south end' of the highway will be carried on 'until the advent of cold weather.
The provincial government ] overloading be curtailed.
the distribution on an ar-1 ' Mr. Leboe's action came only bitrary factor which remains a few days after a truck pperat-more or less constant during the ed in.his name had been stopped years between official census, de-'by Royal Canadian Mounted spite the fact that municipal Police and allegedly found to populations do not always remain | exceed the maximum gross
constant.
City officials have' offIclally and strongly protested the method of distribution, but so far Victoria has always turned a deaf ear.
The government's action in re-
Trucks Checked On District Highways
weight allowed for that type of vehicle.
Mr. Leboe has been formally charged with an infraction of the British Columbia Highways Act along with 10 other truck operators whose vehicles are also said to have been found overloaded. ! DKIVK KKSUMED
Interviewed in his office by a Citizen reporter this morning, , Mr. Godfrey said that the drive A drive against infractions of-against overloading would be re-the British Columbia Highways j sumed where it left off last week.
Act and. the Motor Carriers. Act I "I have advised continued last Friday on district Batty 1 of the Royal
Inspector Canadian
roads. A number of trucks
Mounted Police to proceed with were,1 the utmost vigor in prosecuting
stopped by Motor Carrier Branch! truck owners for overloading," officials and the R.C.M.P. and the | the engineer said, vehicles were inspected for ade-j He said in reply to a question quate equipment. ...
About two dozen were issued with check slips instructing that certain work be carried out immediately.
Such things as good brakes, clearance and stop lights were among the items checked.
PenHcton Firm Gets Nechako Bridge Job
A contract has beep awarded to Interior Construction Co.-' of Pen-ticton for building a new bridge across the Nechako River at Fort Fraser, 03 miles west of Prince George.
The new span will cost $55,-502.
from a- newsman that his department takes its orders from the-| chief engineer in Victoria and not. from any other source.
"In prosecuting for overloading we are enforcing a provincial statute. We didn't make it. The representatives of the people made it."
He said, he was convinced that overloading of trucks is a major factor in road deterioration and to back up his statement he produced an article clipped from a recent issue of Time Magazine in which it is stated that investigations' in the United States Into vehicle loadings have disclosed that a truck with 22,400 pound axle load causes 0.4 times as much
Significant Changes In New Game Laws For This District
Changes in British Columbia's 1953-54 game regulations are few, game officials declared this week, but those few are
ed.1
He said that reduced maintenance costs on vehicles would more than offset the financial advantage of loading trucks beyond their maximum limits.
Asked what he had learned of last week's incident when, a pre arranged check for overloading was cancelled at the last minute the engineer said he had not ob tairied all the details from Mr Laronde yet but that he under stood Mr. Lehoe contacted the junior engineer and suggested tc him that it would be a convenience to truckers if further action
ment in more than five years shortly if the Lieutenant Gov-ernor-in-Council approves the purchase.
The unit is a large rubber-tired tractor which can double as a bulldozer, snow plow, excavator, portable crane, loader and grade!1.
A special meeting of the city.''' council will be held tonight to approve the application to purchase the machine from sale of. lands money.
Due to the fact that sale of lands money must, according to a provincial statute, be kept in a special trust fund and not spent without top government approval, some delay may ensue before the actual purchase is made.
The machine, without attachments, will cost the city about $14,000. It will be leased to the public works department until the transaction is authorized by Victoria.
Agent for the machine here is B.C. Equipment Ltd.
The unit is known as a Hough Model H. R. Payloader.
Equipped with a. loading scoop, the machine is capable of excavating in "bites" of one cubic yard and can lift 4500 pounds.
It is powered by a 70.5 h.p. Hercules diesel engine and is capable of running at 23 m.p.h. in fourth gear.
Advantage of the unit over a rack type machine for the' purpose the city will put it to is that t can run on pavement without resulting in damage to street sur-aces and it can move swiftly rorri job to job.
The ..machine will be used for ight grading jobs, filling ditches, ioading trucks from gravel pits, plowing snow and excavating.
Jts purchase will bring to four the number of pieces of major public works equipment owned by the city. Other three are a ctawler-type bulldozer, a power shovel and a self-propelled grader. It will be no stranger to municipal operators due to the fact it has been rented by the city in the past for short periods.
Mr; and Mrs. Phil MacGregor have been holidaying at Smithers
significant.
The one which will make local gunners happiest is an 18-day extension on the duck and goose
season.
Last year the season opened September 15 and'closed November 15. This year it opens September 15 and closes on December 3.
Although a mild autumn would give local gunners full advantage of the extended season, normal weather would mean perhaps only a few clays of extra gunning after migratory fowl due to the fact that the migrations are usually plete before lakes and ponds
Legion Meeting Billed For today
There will be a general meeting of the Canadian Legion, tonight (Monday) at 8 p.m. in the Legion Hall.
This is the regular monthly meeting postponed one week due to the federal- election. All members are urged to attend.
A local change in procedure which will not make some gun-, ners happy is the intention of the B.C. Game Branch here to prosecute persons carrying pump or auto-loading shotguns which are not "permanently" plugged.
In the past many gunners have carried such guns with removable plugs.
A local game official said plugs this year must be non-removable,
hold the magazine to two shells.
Another change in the Fort George district this year is similar seasons for both grouse and prairie chickens. Formerly a shorter open season on prairie chickens was the rule.
Bag limit on prairie chickens has been increased from four to six a day and the season bag limit has been increased from 16 to 21.
Another change in favor of the migratory wildfowler is in the possession limit of ducks.
Whereas the law last, year permitted only two days .bag limit as the possession limit, this year it permits two days bag limit in the field and two days bag . limit (ducks only) at home or in a cold storage plant.
This means that this season a gunner can have 16 ducks in the field and an additional 1Q. ducks in his locker or at his place of residence.
-As usuaK the moose ; season opens here September 1 and clos-
___�__. ____ , es December 15. Deer .season
thus necessitating either a weld- opens September 15 and closes ing, soldering or brazing job to: November 30.
against overloading were put off. for a week.
Off The Wires Today
Canadian Press�Monday, August I 7
Prince Rupert Rioters Go On Trial
PRINCE RUPERT�A R.C.M.P. inspector testifying at the preliminary hearing here August 1, said the Saturday crowd was "the �ugliest I had ever een."
"I was very alarmed for the life and property of this city," said Inspector R. Taylor.
Three persons, including two teen-age girls, have already been convicted of charges of taking part in an unlawful assembly.
Charges were dismissed against James Slack Saturday after Inspector Taylor testified that, although Slack was in the crowd in front of the city hall, he showed apparent intent of being helpful.
Seven persons are still to foce charges at the' preliminary hearing before Magistrate W. D. Vance,"
Inspector Taylor soid if tear gas had not been used there was no doubt' someone would have been hurt.
R.C.M.P. Sgt. P. Norman testified ot the hearing that the crowd seemed "very anxious to upset* law and order in the.city."
Doukhobor Fanatics Have Busy Weekend
NELSON, B.C.�Surburban Nelson was rocked late Saturday night by a dynamite blast that ripped Canadian Pacific Railway tracks less than two miles from the city limits.
The explosion, believed to be the work of Sons of Preedom Doukhobor terrorists, tore a three-foot hole in the track bed and lifted a rail.
An cast-bound freight train was warned of the blast at the city's outskirts and flagged down 150 yards before reaching the damaged track.
Less than four hours later, fire destroyed the home of a Doukhobor at Krestova. An R.C.M.P. patrolman said the home of Alec Postnifoff was engulfed in flames within seconds. The fire appeared to have been started with gasoline, he said.
Outside the house, police discovered bedding ond other household furnishings apparently removed before the fire. . ,
P.G.E. Employees Get New Working Agreement
VANCOUVER�A new contract has been signed by the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen, Lodge No. 1080, for obout 85 men of the B.C.-owned Pacific Great Eastern Railway. Brotherhood officials claim if is "the best we've ever had with the P.G.E."
The anouncement was made by W. A. Stewart, P.G.E. superintendent, and C. T. "Tess" Vance of Edmonton, vice-president of the International Brotherhood.
The contract did not directly concern wages,' which are governed b) rates paid by the C.N.R. ond C.P.R.
The contract gives yard foremen and helpers o 40-hour week, and provides for time lost in switching through intermediate points between terminals. This had not been covered in mileage rates, on which pay is based One source said it would cost the P.G.E. an extra $10,000 annually.
Service Vote Puts B.C. Seat In Doubtful Column
OTTAWA�The armed services vote in the federal election, predom-' inantly Liberal, failed to turn over any seats but tightened up the count in a few close contests.
The vote, taken a week before August 10 civilian bolloHng ond made public here Saturday, favored the Liberals in all but a handful of the 263 ridings, including most of those that went to other parties on the civilian vote.
Closest to o turnover produced by the service vote, was in British Columbia's New Westminster riding, where it brought the Liberal to within 19 votes of the Social Credit front-runner and virtually assured a recount."
Liberal William Mott, member of the last house, trailed Social Credit's George Hahn by 138 votes on the Civilian returns. The 219 to 100 service vote left Hahn with. 10,746 to 10,727 for Mott.