An Independent SemiAVeekly Newspaper Deroted to the Interest! o# c|
Vol.37; No, 48
al and Northern British Columbia
Prince George, B.C., MONDAY, June 21, 1954
$4.00 per* year
per copy
Sawlog production in the Prince George Forest District | jduring April was higher than the figure for Hie corresponding onth last year, marking the first such margin of increase
in 1-954. . '� . .-..
cst district mills cut a total iflH-^j.078,20Q board feet of logs ' vjui! compared with 23,554.000 jard feet in the same month last
i;u; "lumber manufacturers Bay |tiu. April cut was based on good
jgging weather and optimistic
larket predictionsf
Wlult1�the last fc'w days has
l,ovecl some firming of the fir I market, spruce prices have still followed suit and the lumber
I produced from the April log scale pierely. added to record local in-VH'.lnl'iCSr �
Mills adjacent to Prince George reflected the overall increase in savvlog production during April ;i(linp last year.'s.llgure by 700,000 board feet- for a I tola! of 18,951,000 feet. Total cut for the forest district
I up to the end of April was 210,-j93,000 board feet, compared with mi in.000 board feet for the amc period in 1$53. At the end of April last year
Government Studies Aid For Gas Pipeline
ANC'OUVER (CP)�Britlsh^Co-lumbia government was reported Saturday to be studying a plin for. the government to' join forces with Westcoast/ Transmission Company in building a natural pipeline from the Peace
�.!i<� r the plan, It was report-Jrere, the government and
Iyftfst.coa.st would share the cost ol the "Si 10,000,000 pipeline to| Vaiimuver. Distance i.= 600 miles. Premier Bennett forecast only "slight delay" in the export of
I gas, and Lajids Minister Sommers raid ho was "not unduly pesslmls-vk"
.Pacific Northwest Pipeline |(V>rp.. which won the bid to serve U.S. northwest with gas from IKew Mexico and Colorado, has �rod to fire B.C. industry with
I gas piped in from Alberta via the VS. �.
mills in the Prince George area of the forest district have scaled a cut of 210,628,000 board^feet and this year the scale is a shrunken 141,772,000 feet.
Millyard inventories here are still at the.highest level in history and it is expected monthly sawlog production will be drastically curtailed If the spruce market does not improve in the immediate future.
NEW POWER RATES NOT BEFORE AUG. 1
New power rates ___(p.r�Prince.
George consumers can. not possibly take effect now before August 1, a city hall source disclosed toSay. � -" The rity bylaw authorizing the new lower rates will^rfot be given its final reading and approval by city council untif tonight. - � __T.omnrrmv,.it will be sen4-4e-V4e-
Thls is what,happened at Quesrjel on June 13 whfcn o truck, trailer and 40-ton gravel crusher proved too much fpr/thp south span of the Quesnel River Bricfeje. In centre, foreground its nose tilted at on awkward angle, is the diesel truck frooV which driver Frank Harrod escaped unscathed. Troffic is now being routed over a nearby railway bridge and crews are at work salvaging the valuable equipment. It is expected the bridge will be out^of service for the rest of the summer.
Leboe Takes Up Cry For RCAF Base Here
toria where it must be approved by the Municipal Affairs Depart-menU.ihe Public Utilities Commission, the provincial cabinet and tne lieutenant governor^
The new rate schedule will save consumers from 10 to 35 per cent over the present schedule.
It contains a paragraph which states that it will come into effect on the first of the month following its approval by Victoria.
Such approval will probably not come until the middle of July, and the new rates will probahily apply from August 1 onwards.
New Power Rales Get Final O.K. Tonight
ty council will give final read: tonight to a special bylaw led for the purpose�of institut-a new power-rate schedule
schedule will ^ ideal consumers save Trurn more than 30 per cent on power costs.
rates are based on a re- and recommendation from A. Thomas, the ctty^'s power iiltant. VvN.
II:.' schedule was drawn\ui by Mr. Thomas at the request -t>f h city power committee under the chairmanship of Alderman I \V. Hilton. Once passed, the bylaw must e.submitted to the B.C. Public -Ulities Commission and the pro-
If
Icon
Barbara Gets $10 From Ladies' Aid
rT>OY_e.roenL^^kh_CQuld_welL. result in the establishment of an R.C.A.F. base in Prince George was taken Saturday by B. R. Leboe, M.P. when he telegraphed members of the Social Credit Party to get the matter on the floor of the house in the dying days of the present parliamentary session;
Parliament prorogues this week and Leboe lost little time In taking� tip the ei-y -for an -R.C.A.F.
COL. POOLETO SPEAK! ON MARKET BOARD
A major step^towards creation of a farmers' marketing authority here will take place on Thursday night when members of the fledgling Northern Interior Vege Uible Growers�� Association will hear Col. E. POole, general manager of the Central Interior Vegetable Marketing Association speak on' the subject of the 6.C. marketing-board.
A spokesman for the, local grow ers' association told The Citizen his morning that the decision of whether or not to apply for ex tension of the board's authority into this area will rest largely on Col. Poole's remarks.
Those active in organizing the local group claim that farmers are not receiving proper remuneration for the products due to lack of marketing facilities, and that consumers deserve properly graded goods In whose quality they can have confidence.
Better prices for produce will lead to a greater volume of pro-ductidn and possibly district self-sufficlency In some lines.
If the local group decides against inviting marketing board
base at Prince George.
The subject was, first broached in a Citizen editorial last Thursday. The editorial pointed out that\such a development here would be in line with a recently announced defence policy of getting air force bases away from large citjes and busy airwaysJ
It also extolled the virtues of placing a key air base in a position where it could protect the vital northwest corner of the Dominion and it pointed out that flying weather here is better than
on the lower mainland.
Mr. Leboe was struck by the logic of the argument and went to work immediately.
He telegraphed party officials
. , on Saturday to arrange for two
Another donation* has come in, questlpns t0 be asked before the
for the Barbara Goodwin Trust Fund organized, by the Moose Lodge of Prince George.
In 'a personal letter to the young Chief Lake girl now in the Crippled Children's Hospital in Vancouver, Mrs. E. Evanoff of Crescent Spur;, president ~bf the Loos Ladles1-Aid, writes: ,
"We had a mee.tlng~la.st week to decide hqw we should spend what money we had, and agreed that we would like you have part of it to help you get well. We are enclosing SI0 and hope you get along fine."
parliamentary session
Question one will nsk er it is true (hat there is some talk of moving the R.C.A.P.V Hen lslnnd base, and question two wilL ask whether th<;/goy� ernnient did not contemplate Prince George as an ultimate military,, buse lrheh it spent more than $i,0fltf,000 here two years ago on -reconstruction of a main runway. According to reports the RCAF
is anxi6us to leave Vancouver and 'it/Is considered possible that
Conciliation Board Startled By Disclosure
Union Leader Fired After Dual Role Bared At Kittriiat
Western Air Command headquart-ers would move with It._____' '
If Prince George was chosen as a base and headquarters, the
y would become the air defence centre for the entire province.
Mr. Leboe, in talks he plans to have shortly with defence officials, will emphasize that Prince George is at the heart of a tactical area through which would stream many of the supplies for a war In4he north.
He will point out that long-range all-weather jets flying out of here could provide air cover' over such vital installations/as the Kjtimat aluminum plant and the harbors of Prince Rupert.
CITY CALLS TENDERS ON WALKS, CURBS
City of Prince George today extended a call for tenders on construction of more than a mile df concrete curbs and gutters.
Bidding on the two projects closes at noon on June 28 and tenders must be accompanied 5 per cent of the amount bi
Most of th� sfdewalk/Cionstruc-tion will take place^ifT^he residential areas, whilp^the curba and gutters are largely intended for^ the.-downtow*(part of the city.
Both mfSjects will proceed on a local/improvement basis, with rent property owners paying
fb thirds of the cost on frontage and one third_where the installation is parallel to the longest dimension, of the property.
$550,000 Jail
/Work on the largest government contract let-in this area 5ir�ce the Dominion Government spint a million dollars on runway extensions ot. Prince George Airport two years ago, is well underway. The project: a $551,000 100-pnsoner provincial jail a half mile east of the city.
Already huge earth-moving)-------------------;�:------------------
units have gouged out close to'of. concrete and will "have a flat 5000 cubic yards _pf dirt where concrete roof on two levels, the jail basement will be poured I Plans include spacious work-and carpenters are at work erect-1 shops', a laundry, water treatment
group
the provincial to extend its
authority here, a district board would be set up.
Col. Poole will address the. meeting at 8 p.m. on Thursday in j-the Eagle
Ing forms for the steel-reinforced concrete walls of the structure.
Little more than a month ago the provincial government let the big contract to_Marpble ConstrUc-tlon Co. Ltd. of Vancouver.
Project superintendent Palmer Enger has already got 20 men on the job and as work advances further he will employ a crew of 35 carpenters and 20 laborers.
Into the sprawling penal restitution will go upwards of 2200 cubic yards of concrete and 118 tons of steel reinforcing.
The new provincial jail will cover 27,000 square feet of ground atop a bank just east of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway Company's yards. According to some visionaries,the site chosen for the jail is right in the middle of a future high class residential area. /
But the men working on/lho ^onstruclion job today Jirq not worrying as much about the aesthetic value of their surroundings as they are about the weath er. -J/.-
Work haj^already. hail to be called off/for one three-day spell due to/heavy rains and today the
growers are urged to attend.
basement excavation has a foot or water in it at one point, r / The entire building will be built
Wholesale Clerk Convicted
On Three Counts Of Theft
supreme court jury took little more than an hstjr here Friday t� bring down verdicts of guilty on three tlieft counts against a 21-year-old former sales clerk for Mcf\enzie, White & Dunsrpuir Ltd., automotive and generaj/wholesolers.
Convicted and sentenced to nine months definite, arid three months indefinite,-in the young offenders' unit of Oakalla Prison Farm was Real Luclen Marchand.
Marchand slumped forwaf the prisoners' box, head/tn his hands, "when the- jury^iorem.an solemnly pronounced
p verdicts ot
jJ J three ? an 1 recom
verdicts ot tsafi mended leniency!
The former wholesale clerk was chargea with theft of a 25 h.p. outboard motor, an electric drilKand an electric grinder. /"Marchand's trial opened Thursday before Mr. Justice H. S. Wood and was the only criminal case on the late spring assize in Prince George.
The- accused was arrested��'"February 25 after an investigation disclosed certain merchandise to be^ missing from the M^Keivzle, White..& Dunsmuir branch here.
When^arrested, some of the articles said to-be missing from the whoiesalei\s"were found in the back of the accused's^truck, police witnesses testified.
T-ho outboard motor was "found
Workers Internatior
-The president of thp-^AFL Aluminum Union local here v^os instantly dismissed
from his post. Saturday^cifter admit^fig he was-actually an organizer for a\rival Union.
Surprise admission was mad( by Wally Ross after his dual was disclosed at�"the Aluminum ! Company of Canada projpcTs first
1heir"co^ent. � \ conciliation board
TT
$75,600 Peden Hill Project To Get Under Way Next Week
Work wlii get underway here next week on a $75,000 Meet "which, will see the west approach to Prince George
substantially improved. divisional public works
en-
er p. D. Godfrey said today the job of "scalping" the toff Peden's Hill two miles h of the city dnd using the rial to provide a more gentle " at the base of the hill will arried out on a day-labor basis
departmental pment.
and rented
')�� project also includes some MMructlcm and relocation -k for a short distance west of He-hill.
Wet weather is said to be 'ng up a start on an $80,000 ;ition. and reconstruction pro-
"orage Crop Field Day Scheduled For Thursday
forage crop field day will be ' <" the Dominion Experiment-fann on Thursday, June [" -mninj; at 7:30 p.m.
24,
The field day was fifSTSeheiiul-1 f"i- last Tuesday bqt unsuitable eather caused its cancellation, at ii�t time.
(trasses suitable for pasture and lape -vn\\ i)e emphasized at the [Sncultural field day.
bombsbell was dropped "by Qwen, Alcan counsel at
r Q
heaiintj, who charged orgahizetkfor United
Itoss Steel
ject four miles east of the city on the Cariboo Highway.
The Cariboo Highway project Includes almost a mile of-new road which has. been designed to eliminate two sharp curves immediately east of Prince George Airport. Some gravelling will be done in the same vicinity.
Work will start shortly on gravelling and grading of a half-mile of new road west of the city in th^ Swede Creek area. i
Lat�r i,n the summer the Provincial Public Works Department paving divisions will bring equipment here for the purpose of laying 25 miles of hot-mix asphalt.
Stretches of local hlghway�ttr[ be paved this year includes six-miles of the Cariboo Hi&hway between Nine-Mile Corner r.nd Cale Creek, part of the longest straight stretch of road in British Columbia and 3.7 miles from Prince (Jeorge Airport to Nine-Mile Corner Remainder of the paving will he the 15.4 mile stretch of the John Hart Highway from .Prince George to Salmon River-Mr. Godfrey said that there will bo'no pulvi-mix puving in the dis- thN year, largely because of l
the
was g
Workers of, Aine>Jca union.
The AFL.union ""w-as certified as bargaining agent ht?re recently following a dispute with the steel workers.
Mr. Owen told the board that by the time production started at the Kitlmat project it would represent an investment of $275,-000,000.
"If we are to be faced with a battle between conflicting labor interests we must see that we are protected in every way possible," he said. We don't f,eel we can proceed with the situation as it is unless the union is prepared to post a �500,000 bond of good conduct."
After Mr. Owen accused Ross of being in'tbtt.'GTnploy of the steel workers while posing as an AFL adherent, Ross, who a short time before had presented the aluminum workers' brief to the board, said: -''That is quite right; I am organizer for the steel workers union,"
Said J. N. Ross of Vancouver, head of the electrical workers-union and a member of the board: "I am astounded! In all my
Gaglardi Balks At Plan To Borrow For B.C. Highways
Borrowing of large sums of money on a long-term basis to rapidly complete a highway system for British Columbia would jeopardize the provincial economy, works minister P. A. Gaglardi told delegates from seven boards of trade at Burns Lake last week.
plant, security cells, solitary confinement cells, two cell-blocks, administration offices and a recreation area outside the building.; �
A staff1 of 20 men will be required to run the jaiL when it, first opens sometime nexCysar at approximately half capapity.
Marpble Construction's contract on the job calls for completion by March of next year, but Superintendent Enger is aiming at/ year-end completion and says/he will .make it if he gets ajbreak in the weather. y^
The jail, is intended l-o;serve the entire northern papt of the province qs well a/ithe central interior, and k/will accept prisoners serving-^tnaxliinurn jair.terms. of two^years,
the main arguments on behalf of building a large jail -nere was that it would eliminate the high co.st of transporting prisoners trt the south by air.
The jail project was supported" strongly by L. L. King, former' Socredr~M.X.A. for Fort George, after he inspected local jail conditions at the rear of the provincial government building and went Into prisoner transpovtation cog
Annual
at thtpiforne of a city resident who had^oought it front Marchand believing that he was making-'a wholesale purchase.
Buyer of the motor admitted to not having a licence to buy wholesale and aat4~h��had arranged for the accused to buy the motor, in his own name, and then sell i(.
Marchand admitted to having accepted a cheque for the wholesale price of the motor and depositing, it in his own account. He said he deposited it, rather thnn. put it through as a cash sale, because he had been cautioned-that the cheque might not be good for a few days, ,
-Testifying on his own behalf he said he believed the articles found by police In the rear of his panel truck were planted there 'by a fellow emplpyee who was trylug toNcover up stock shortages. He accu^sd a former manager of. the. wholesale branch of placing thejmeI" articles l\the truck. ,, .___L ' wlLJ1 '
In his charge to the jury- Mr. Justice- Wood said he would have
Annupfmeeting of the Local AsKopftftion of Guides will he held Scout-Guide Hall tomorrow vening, starting atJV-fvm. A cordial Invitation Is extencl-i.eci to evei'y-^'Guido or Brownie innthor^oi^inuTcsted friend to at-tepdf�rf? of the as-.^ocintion have expressisd thanks*to all thu.se who helped make the tea n
no "compunction" in convicting the accused.
Marchand had no previous record and will serve the three sentences concurrently. rS-
New Pr. George Cafe Opened�Saturday
Described by citizens ami visitors alikre as the most up-to-date and best furnished dining spot north of Vancouver, . the new Prince George Cafcv and restaurant was opened' to the public on Saturday morning.
An immaculate stainless steel^ kitchen complete with many labor saving detficos unrt-sanimry equip-of thu latL'st type, coupled
ith attractive new chinaware cairght the eye of feminine guests who \ycre presented with flp\ycrs by the management as the first
perience in the labor movement 1 have never heard anything like this admission.
'"I think we should have an adjournment immediately while the union men here consider the situation."
After a closed meeting of union members, an. official declared: "We didn't give him a chance to resign; we kicked him out."
The surprising ' developments rocked this union-conscious settlement, and the ne"w weekly newspaper, the Kitimat Northern Sen-
tiirt thN year, gy
equipment commitments else- tinel, published its first extra edi-
where in the province. _ tlon.
The ministec was the principle guest at a meeting called by the Burns Lake Board of Trade for tlie purpose.of presenting certain recommendations to the government.
On hand for the special meeting were delegates from Prince Geo/gej Burns Lake, Vanderhoof, Tejkwa, Smithers, Terrace and Prince Rupert. r . ;
Gaglardi told the meeting he Is opposed to any largo-scale borrowing plan and he claimed federal assistance would halve the time required to modernise British Columbia's highways.
Only definite commitment made by the minister was a promise to improve a short section of Highway 16 a few 'miles west of Burns Lake.
He disclosed that provincial surveyors are now at work plotting the route for the Terrace-Kit imat highway.
The meeting agreed that its aim was to have the provincial government form a plan whereby Highway \16 between- Prince George and Prince Rupert would be permanently surveyed, located, ditched, gravelled and compacted within the next five years.
.Delegates went on record with a resolution urging the department of public works to adopt a policy whereby a 15-mile section of Highway 16 be fuFly completed each year in each of the six pub lie �works districts along its route. If the policy Is adopted and went into effect next year the en tire western half of the Northern Trans-Provincial Highway would
be completed by 1960.
The resolution urging the new policy will be presented at the annual meeting of the Associated Boards of Trade at Ketchlkan later in the summer.
Prince George representatives at the meeting were B. R, Leboe M.P., Cecil Elphicke, W. E, Dale, Ben Glnter and H. P. Estlln.
Haversack Found
A haversack containing personal clothing, cooking utensils and food has been picked up by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The sack may be claimed :it the local of rice of the RCMP, Seventh Ave.
meals "went over the counter and tables.
Concealed lighting, technicolor wall pictures, soft carpets and' modernistic chairs contribute to' an atmosphere of luxury In the dining-room, anil the. entire establishment reflects the confidence of the owners in .thp future growth of.-Prince George.
Business and Professional Women's Association will hold a wind-up dinner meetmg at Melva'-,'deer Lodge on ThursitTiy night.
Mrs. Senkbiel Marks! 90th Birthday Today1
Reserve Reimposed On PGE Right-of-Way
The.B.C. Department of Lands today reimposed a reserve on a 1000-fqot strip of government-owned land a short distance south and west of Prince George.
Mllft
41c
An old-timer of the Central B.C._ area, Mrs. Catherine Senkbiel of 3outh Fort George reaches the rii>e old age of 00 years today.
In honor of the occasion, fellow members Of the Cathol[c Women's ' League Sunday � presented herj with a hugfr birthday cake, complete with 90 candles.
Mrs. Senkbiel has lived here" since 1917, living earlier in*. Smithers and Cisco me.
Mrs. Hugh �l|l baked the birthday cake, and wfth Mrs. John Hill, Mrs. Clarence Arnett and Mrs. Cecil Glass visited the grSml old lady Sunday and presented it to her.
Mrs. Senkbiel is in excellent health," and continues to wtvier-take many activities, . incKiding membership in the Catholic Women's League. She attends Mass, travelling from South Fort George by bus.
In addition to the cake, members of the Catholic Women's. League have also sent her a bouquet of flowers, extending happy birthday wishes.
77c
Stock
.east as Willow TUvur wrfcre- -prfi-hninary surveys havo been car-ietl out foiva lpw.-level railway lrige over the Fraser. Keleiiiry.Hon. Ralph Chetwynd, .linistpjx'of Railways, informed 'riirpcr George Board" of Trade It.' in favor of the line being milt directly north from this city, mil expressed the opinion there would be no saving In construc-ion costs, hut an increase.; In op-tratljig outlays, by utilizing na Tossing east\Of Prince George. �
Gas Rufmg
VANCOUVER, June 21�Westcoast Transmission Company announced today it will appeal the decision of' the U.S. Federal Power Commission refusing the company a permit to supply Peace River natural gas to the Pacific north-west United State*.
D. P. McDonald, company vice-president, said in a statement issued here the ruling will be appealed to the Third C-r-cuit Court .of Appeals in Phijadelphia. i
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