An Independent   Semi-Weekiy  .Newspaper   Devoted   ta   Hie
37; No. 9
(Two Section^)
F[,LY CUP FINALISTS
School
Prince George, B.Cv, THURSDAY, February 4, 1954
> Prince Georgfe wirj pay the biggest share of school costs in' its history if t-ne Department of Education's present grant ind divisor figure is (correct, city hall officials disclosed this
i
81

 The Matter With Prince George?'
Interest In Arfsfkhd he Pknt

With the outside temperature hovering 15 a*egre^s^above the freezing mark, burling and skating rinks coverecN^y water, and all winter sports at.a standstill, delegates from bNscore of service clubs and city groupy-met in Prince George Hotel banquet-room Monday night and agreed on two steps which may lead to the installation this year of an artificial, ice plant -for joint use of the Civic Arena and Curling Club.
Ffrst-aiTove will be taken by the   �---------�-------------:-----:----------
original     ltre-uibers    of ,'Qeorge    Artificiat\lce 'tets^w'ho met last wee tentative   plans   for city    independent   of    what   has proved, in Tesmt years, to be a fickle climate.   \.
This committee was Instructed! -to press for the immediate formation of an elected parks^board in   Princ>-^George.
It was the opinion of the meeting that a parks board, might be instrumental In securing Financial aid from the city for recreational projects, Including a swimming pool, baseball diamond and, of course, an-artificial ice plant for curlers, skaters./ and hockey team's.
�The same committee, co-operating with representatives of various- civic organizations, will investigate the feasibility of adopting a payroll deduction scheme to .help finance the venture.
xThis plan was strongly advocat edNby C. A. "Chuck" Cawdell, chairitum of the meeting, who said it would be a "demonstration of sincerity" to the city council.
DOLLAR A MONTH \ He estimated that $30,000 could | beNx>!lected In six^rrfbnths by do-naticrqs of one'dollar a month from every employee in the city. Keplyiftg to mild objections .from several., at the meeting, Mr. Cawdell said:x"You can't tell me theirs, are man,v\jn this city'who wouiv inaugurating a $l-a-month ^!an in their plants.
(Hhers had promised to donattT materials, and one firm had come tbcwardNvlth an offer to defray all^ogts ofxinstalllhg the thousands offcet of pipe which would be necessary^mt; the combined projects.       '\"\
Mr^_Cawdell saicts^shad learned on good authority trt&i a freezing plant could te^ installed . to serve both buildings at a cos^of �70,000. Others at the meetmgS-mentioned'figures ranging up to" SI 00,000.
In addition, about $20,000 would be required  to carry out repairs j at the Civic Arena before artificial 'ice could be instalfed.
week.
Accoiifcltog to a letter .from School District Number 57 Prince George will pay 62.36 per cent of local school costs this year and the , rural : area will pay only 37.G4 per cent.'   ,->��.-.
Disclosure of the new grant and   divisor   figure   came   as   a
the city, 31,641,205 in. the rural area, and 75 per cent.of Improvements worth $1,211,415 in the city and $2,025,161 in the rural area. -This year the rural' area's  assessment factors have dropped to $1,552,0-11  for land and $1,836,(>"> j for improvements, while the city's shock to municipal  officials who   have .jumped to $1,869,999 for land
expected the city ' would pay ,aboutthe same portion of'cywts as it did last year.
Although it is not yet definitely'known what factor caused the increase in percentage to be born by the city, some observers say it is  a result of last year's annexation of part of the rural area. This theory is borne  out- by the fact that the rural area portion of co.sts was computed on a  lower   overall   land   and  improvement assessment this year than  It   wa�  last  year.   At the-s.umi'  time, the city percentage was   computed   oh   a   substantially      Increased     'assessment ; value. xBut   some   municipal   officials
and $4,832,392 for improvements.
Total assessment ip the rural area .has apparently dropped $280,000 in the..1952-53 period used � for computing the cost apportioning factor.
City Clerk D. T. Williams has written to government officials in Victoria in an attempt to clarify the method used i/i computing the  city's share this  year.
Road Restrictions May Be On Soon
If present mild weather continues for another week British
say that the Department of Edu- Columbia Publib .Works De-cation grant and divisor figure; partm2nt enqineers^here "will could  not include, the annexation  S-                  r.j- ,.-�'-;           ..
factor   because 4)y. law the com-,have  to consider the  applica-pu],ation is supposetl to be based  tion  of  highway restrictions^r on   the   last . revise^assessment' Q spokesman said this morning.
He safy-Gop<-ral Robert Boriner   ip  Victoria   In   unofficial
ents e V*ek for thivpujrpose, He emphasized that rt^vas advis-
Enquiries have already gone out-to Rossland where work has started on an artificial plant utilizing plastic instead of metal pipes for the freezing solution. This would slash both material and installation costs, in the opinion of committee members. ~^
Contacts are also being made with Western- Canada firms who specialize* in the' installation, of artificial ice systems.
It was learned that citizens of Williams Lake plan to. JfcjftM ar*J< (S^AHTJFIGAL ICE, P^^f)
Chuck" CAWDELL^
 y
 ^; the temperature drops.'1  Hesa-kL today   was >he   first  time the merCw^hacl been below
Arbi
Teachers
quarter tftlUfon dollars, 'lire
area paid 43>per cent.         y^ -
The   1953   figures   were/based   lllllt. U1L.
on land assessedNat Sl^<>53,381 in .freezing in
some days.
Meanwhile, he reported, one oj the most hazardous driving cprttfl� tions ever s-primary         �               �-     ..              .
school teachers.                       '< \, W$*H. ^"bUral1?"    feS
hearing will tawe^place here Sat
urday to settle Quesnel .�chvi%' traffic which! got through' hat u*fi\ i'haL�<
l^tT^of chains Is still necessary tit some points alonu the Hart Highway, toclay, l)iit sanding and scoring of the.rpcid surface h;is jjupn>vt�cn;  195J>^lrnost identical with the window sill of the  11th, fjoor i the figure  for the corresponding quartern! the previoussyear. roOm  of  Hotel  Vancouver,  stuck |          Net earnings per share of $.Sp^was the same for both-s^uartcrs.
its, head in  the open-Window.and            Net   soles and  operating   tetfenucs   in  the  fipal  quarter "bf   1953  was
made off with^he glasses-of Mrs j $30,750:868,   compared   wrft   529,639,157   in   the  corrcspondirig  quarter
of .1952.
�   Lost   quarter or  1953  was  the   first whole quarter   during  wnicKSthe second   unit .of/me   Harmac   pulp   mill   was   in   operation.      Higher   profit*.
K;ul  AndorSon.
-  Mr;   Anderson, '   reaolng   in   a
chair   a   few Jeet   away,   lunged
at   the   gull   as   it   prepared   for
takeoff but  was  unable   to   grab
it.
 of  i
J. Taverna Of Gift On
carpen-on   the
The'flowers are perfectly form-jS2.17 rate aftFdemanding a new ed and show no damage from [contract with a rate"of~$2.35 on earlier frost and snow.                 ' hour.
�_J. Tayerha, Whtx'fiaa         . er mechanicpsr C.N'.R. at Prince George  for^the  ptisi} two ye�TB," was the^recipient at <\ handsonie de^J^set at a Ratheririg of fellow ^employees on Sa-turtlay. '- Mr.   Taverna  has   been   transferred   to   Kamloops   as   master mechanic and  is  succeeded5 hewf by \V. 0,  rhtliotv.- who was previously road  foreman of ettigirit at Edmonton.   ,
resulted   frprTi  this  source   but   these   were'Offset   by   lower   profits  in  Other deportij^nts' of   the  company,   management   reported.
Search Launched For Missing' Highway Transport
VANCOUVER�Highway patrols in Washington State today began a mile-by-mile search foe a big transport truck carrying Canadian Army materials  which vanished, between  Spokane and. Vancouver.
Spence Matthews of Vancouver, oyyner of the truck, said he feared it may have been hijacked, or lost over o cliff.
"Anything. cou.ld__hciyfi_happened," he said. "The drjver might-hove sfopped to sreep^and met foul ptay, or there are any number of spots where he could have gon&^pff a cliff "and fallen-1,000 feet."
B.C.H.i;SrWiTr^e^$3,000,000 Government Subsidy
VICTORIA�Health Ministcfr^Eric Martin said today the government �will have to pour an -additional- $37000,000- into the British Columbia Hospital. Insurance. Service this �� year. FUi-.^did not, indicatq where the money was coming from�B.C. wtil likely learp thyt when thS budget is presented in,..the legislature loter this month.                 .    .