An Independent Semi-Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the Interest off Central and Northern Britisl � mbia 38; No. 61 (Two Sections)' Prince George, B.C., MONDAY, August 1, 1955 imediate Solution In Sight ox Car Shortage Still hreatens Lumber Mills Box car shortages are still slowing the loadings of local Is vvith millowners on the CNR line east and west'of Prince )fge being harder hit than city operators. ,., prince George planing mill has already laid off the -hi ft. as lumber started'to mlate on the loading plat-with no extra cars in sight, local export lumber sales is losing 30 to 40 per cent American and Eastern Can- li.ni sales because of the acute �We are just getting by now, l \ve're never sure from day ,i,,v what will happen to us," c lumber operator said this ;i few (lays there we just cl to get by, and that was t Leboe, member of parlia-for Cariboo, in an interview The Citizen this morning, ih.it many cars are being 'by railway companies in United States and have not .mi returned for use by Canad-li owners. [He said that the cars are the �rty df the Canadian Nation-nl Canadian Pacific railroads tin' American firms are con-,' to pay nominal rental mcert Tonight 'ill Introduce iristopher Lynch Christopher Lynch will be rd with suppoi iing'artists rma Holmes and Joan Iker in a program of Irish k songs and piano selections the Connaught School aud-ium this evening begin-g at 8:30 p.m. 'athplic Drama. Group, under -ident Joan Hill, is spohsor- the cnomuht_pej;formance of young Celtic tenor. ariei] repertoire of the radio concert artist will include aria from Puccini's 'La Bo- II''. 'Che Gelida Manina', a ilic folk .-nng, 'Derin De' and nilar American Irish selec- ed attraction will be the rfoniiance of the young Americanist Xorma Holmes who , |1 open thp program with selec-1 S from Chopin, Liszt, Gersh-and Addinsell. I'Min soprano Joan Walker 'also be heard in well known pet ions including Schumann's l.mimg' and 'This Is My Be-'!' from 'Kismet'. 'iiccrt gpers are invited to ar-"" time, since no admittance Ijc allowed while the pro-n is in progress. fees on them until they can find some of their own. In the local picture, the shortage can be attributed to two factors. 1. The shortage of west coast (Prince Rupert) freight. The cars are normally routed through Prince George, unloaded at Prince Rupert and brought east again to be loaded with lumber at Prince George. 2. There has been a sudden call for cars from- grain growers in the. prairie and Peace River regions. Recently the federal government lowered the quota and there has been a sudden "rush" from elevator firms to dispose of their grain at the lake-head and Vancouver. In view of another crop that will soon be hitting the rails, the car shortage may remain the same for some time yet. . Leboe told The Citizen that the Board of Transport Commissioners plans to issue an order to some of the American companies to begin returning the cars. But, ' he said, the British Columbia lumber business does not always come first in parliament. Wheat growers always get priori- ty- � Main reason for this is that grain shipments over the Crow's Nest Pass are government subsidized! "When the PGE gets through to the Dawson Creek/area we will see no such shortages," Leboe commented. "There will be an ample supply^ of box cars for both east and .south bound shipments." �v3-:\ per year 5c per copy Duck Weather Here For Today, Tomorrow Clouds today and Tuesday are on .this, mornings -weather forecast. Scattered showers are promised for both afternoons. Low tonight and high tomorrow at Prince George will be 45 and 65. Prince George all-stars defeated Dawson Creek 7-1 and 8-2 in a home-and4iom-9 series to win the soccer championship of north-central B.C. Following the final game at Connaught School grounds, Jack Spaner (right) presented the handsome trophy his firm donated to Captain Pino Duiz. ' " - ' � , , . �Wally West Studios Cranbrook District May Get Power Following Survey A British Columbia Power Commission official arrived in Prince George at the week-end to undertake a resurvey of a rural area which appealed an initial ruling that to supply it with rural electrification would be too costly. The area to be resurveyed includes the area below the foothills west of the city and the fanning community along the Cranbrook Hill road. An original petition prepared by residents of the area showed a potential of approximately 20 power consumers. Representatives of the BCPfc examined the area and estimated construction cost at close to $20,000. This, the commission pointed out, is far in excess of the policy which demands7 that rural exten sions cost no more than $500 per consumer. At least four residents of the area are milk producers and require power to operate milking machines and other appliances ttvy Rains Dampen )rt George Forests � small forest fires are rriing this morning in the Fort ~ro Forest District. Most are inaccessible and are ng in remote areas of the |trict. :ard is flow" and Forest 'C officials say the week-end will keep the forests safe iii least a couple of days. Planners Have Early Start For UBCM Convention Here Annual convention of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities will bring more than 400 delegates to Prince George in October. Delegates from every city, town, village and incorporated district in British Columbia will be swarming to Prince George for the convention October 5, 6 and 7 in the Civic Centre. The 14-member executive of the association will meet a day ahead, on October 4. Prince George's alderman," Mrs. Carrie Jane Gray, representing the northern district, will be present at this meeting. The 333 official delegates will bring their wives, husbands and in many cases their friends. Accommodation problems are almost entirely ironed out now, but there is still a few catering stumbling blocks to overcome; (See PLANNERS, Page 6) [raser River Gives lip Body if 12-Yeardld Joyce Padlesky Body of a 12-year-old girl who was drowned while swim-?ng in the Fraser River at South Fort George on July 12 was Jnd near Quesrvel late Saturday night. tody, of Joyce Padlesky, third daughter of Mr. and Mrs. 2 Oni.sthuk,' 673 Second Av-',?was found by two child-on the west bank of the or, two miles north of the or River bridge at Queenel. if was drowned when she 1 -swimming .with a friend, Hna Olausen, Central Fort ci'�e, early last month. rho pair were bathing at a Jit-in the Fraser where the Hh Fort George slough forms pributary to the river. According to an eyewitness re-the young girl stepped into Jle -in the river's bed and swept underneath, ter. dragging the river for � time, the local detachment |)he RCMP could not find the grief-stricken mother is |empting to" sell her business [I'rince George and intends' to from funeral the city, arrangements have been made for 10:30 " tomorrow morning from Sacred Heart Church in this city. Club Supervisor Here Next Week Miss Echo Lidster, provincial supervisor of 4-H clubs, will be making her annual visit to Prince George this week, and while in the district will attend a number of club, meetings. Tonight and tomorrow, August 1 and 2",'. she will be present at meetings of the. Smithers clubs. Wednesday and Thursday, August 3 and 4 Miss Lidster will meet 4-H Clubs at Vanderhoof, and Friday and Saturday, August 6 and 7,. she will be a guest at meetings of Prince George district clubs. On August 4- Miss Lidster will meet the Mud River club at the homo of Mrs. Jackson. On the same day the Nukko Lake 4-H "organization will have her as guest at a meeting in the Nukko Lake hall. Composite meeting of the Tab-er Creek, Pineview and Salmon Valley clubs will be held at the Experimental Station, on Friday, August 5. . ; < Meeting times and dates, with the Quesnel organizations . are not.yet announced. City Firm Successful Bidder For United Church Building A contract for building the majbr portion ofJa. new church building for Knox United Church in Prince George has been awarded to Prince George Construction Co. Ltd. for $39,638. It was the lowest of six" bids received for the work when tenders were opened by the build ing committee on Friday night. Architect Joyln Briggs of Prince George,: who designed the structure in co-operation with the committee, will supervise, the construction, which will start at an early date. Other firms tendering on the project were: Nechako Construction Ltd., $45,992. -Dezell Construction Ltd., $46,-980. Beaver Construction Ltd., �43,-884. -I Nydahl's Cabinet, $43,784. ��� Erwin Construction Co. Ltd., $45,178. connected with dairy operation. Meanwhile, word is being awaited here daily in connection with another BCPC proposal. Tenders were^ opened" some time ago in connection with construction of 6.3"miles of rural extension along the John Hart Highway. Low bidder for the work was Mott Electric Ltd., 1344_ Third Avenue, with a price of $14,000. Funeral For Accident Victim This Friday - Funeral for the late Michael James Clingam, victim of the Quesnel highway accident in which six people were hospitalized, will be held from Assman's Funeral Chapel Friday at 2 p.m. Rev. Allan -Kenney of the Pentecostal Tabernaete-w-ill officiate. His foster mother, Mrs. Baldry of Sylvan Lake, Alberta, will be in attendance. Traffic Jam Makes Florida Traveller Object Of Fury Largest traffic tie up ever to happen on the Fraser River Bridge occurred Saturday afternoon. Because one lane of the bridge is currently under repair, only the south side can be used. , It all happened when an American traveller with a Florida licence plate missed the red light on the north side and proceeded across. �� When he was half way over the bridge the light turned green on the other side and nearly 100 cars began to move across until they met the American vehicle. The Florida car was towing a large trailer and thus was unable to back up. After a few words were exchanged between the tourist and the party in the first car of the line up, the stream of cars slowly began-to back up. By this time the Airport Hill was covered with cars and the traveller just managed to squeeze by them in his effort to escape a bombardment of nasty words and fist-shakings. Department of Highways officials said this morning that the north side of the bridge will be re-surfaced and ready, for travel by this week-end. MST^ Prince George Youth Averts River Tragedy CACHE CREEK, July 25 � Heroic efforts of a Prince George boy, 18-year-old Allan Cardinal, is credited with saving the lives of his 22-year-old brother, Warren, and a companion, Mel Roberts, while the two were swimming near the mouth of the Bonaparte River yesterday. The pair, also residents of Prince George, were wading in the backwaters of the river when they stepped into a deep.channel and were swept off their feet. The swift current started . to carry them toward the Thompson River. One of the boys shouted lor help, and young Cardinal, who is a strong swimmer, rushed in with most of his clothes on and helped the � exhausted lads to shore. An eye-witness stated young Cardinal's presence of mind and bravery undoubtedly averted a double drowning. The three boys are employed by the B.C. Forestry .Service. Allan's parents live at 485 Al-ward Street. PGE Subsidy Offer Pittance Says Low An offer by the Dominion Government to subsidize construction of the first 50 miles of the PGE north of Prince George to the extent of $25,000 a mile was described as "just a mere pittance" in the House of Commons last week by national Social Credit leader Solon Low. Speaking on behalf of the constituents of his Peace River' riding during the debate on^ the budget of the Department of Transport, Mr. Low recalled that as far back as 30 years ago a Liberal prime minister had promised Peace River residents an outlet to. the Pacific. In reply to the government's offer to subsidize only 50 miles because the remainder of the line would be "uneconomic", Mr. Low said, "I am not complaining so much about the government's offer. except that is is just a mere pittance. Fifty miles is neither here nor there in .respect to providing an. outlet for northern Alberta." Mr. Low said that due to existing freight rates the service offered Peace River residents by Northern Alberta Railways, cannot be considered a form' of access to the Pacific. "I emphasize that ther^e is no connection between the Northern Alberta Railways and the Pacific X>ast," said the Socred leader. "The Pacific ports of Prince-Rupert and Vancouver are the natural outlets for the vast and increasing production of the Peace River country. "Since no Pacific coast or westr ern rail outlet has been provided, all shipping is subject* to the aj> most prohibitive cost of a, back-haul ol more than 350 miles to Edmonton before the products can get started toward the water terminals. That in" itself" is a terrific disadvantage. "What of the future? For long, efforts have been made to interest the government of Canada in providing western outlets for the areas I have mentioned, the Peace River block in British Co- lumbia and the Peac^TRiver block in Alberta. / "You can go back 30 years and find that such great men as William Lyon Mackenzie King went up into that area and just before an election promised the people that if his government got elected they would put through westr ern coast outlets for the Peace River country. "Those are on the record and the minister can find them. T�ese promises go back I thinle^ovjr all of 30 years, but in spite of them we have no coast outlet, which is the natural outlet." - Later in the debate when Hon. George C. JMarler, Minister of Transport, reminded Mr. Low of the government's $25,000 a mile offer for the first 50 miles only, the Social Credit leader replied, "Of course the railway will have to go a great deal farther than 50 miles. Fifty miles would only get it up into an impossible area, and it would not be much better off than^lt is today.. The Pacific Great Eastern Railway for a long time has been something with a middle and no and. "I have always made the prediction that until the PGE can tap that rich and expanding Peace River .country, it cannot pay its way; and i im - sure the minister will find that is true. "It must" tap that part of the country. The only way it can tap it is by extending northeastward from Prince George into the heart of that productive farming area. "I would suggest to the minis-; ter that he take another look at that offer of the government. A grant of $25,000 a mile for building railroads through that country is a pittance." First Sod Turned For New Church "This sod is turned.to consecrate this site that on it may be erected a church to the glory of God." Rev. W. Evan Fullerton spoke these dedicatory words Sunday morning as John Gaul turned the first sod to mark construction of a new $100,000 Knox United Church building in the city. The simple sod-turning ceremony, held on the Fifth Avenue JOHN GAUL . . . turned first sod Ex-Citizen Reporter Averts Suicide Clem Russell, former Prince George Citizen reporter and now staff correspondent of the ' Vancouver Sun at Nanaimo, last week co-operated with police in averting a suicide attempt by a Ladysmith woman. Russell received a call from the woman asking if he would like a "good suicide story". When the woman said she planned to take her own life, Russell kept conversing with her on the phone while another Sun employee contacted the RCMP. When police reached the woman's home in . Ladysmith 30 minutes later, Russell was still talking to her over the phdne. Russell's comment. "Whew!" site of the proposed church. following the regular service Sunday morning culminated three years of planning" by member's of the Knox United Church building committee. Officiating at the dedication of the sod was a former minister of Knox United Church from 1937 to 1941, now minister of Queen?s Ave. United Church, New Westminster. For the occasion Rev. Fuller-ton wore a flower necklace, presented by congregation member Sant Gill, to follow a custom of India. , Ribbon marked off the site of the new church, where congregation members gathered- following the morning service. On a platform at one end, flanked by choir members, "Rev.' Gordon McLaren 'read the invocation to open the ceremony. Special guests were named by John Mallis, chairman of the building drive. They included Mayor and Mrs. Gordon Bryant, Frank Clark and Alex Moffat, members of the building committee which constructed the present church; architect Jolyon Briggs; contractor Tom Wright; Rev. A. F. Kenney, president of the Ministerial Association; and Lieut. R. Wombold, acting for Lieut. Chapman; secretary of the Ministerial Association. Members of the building committee present at the ceremony were Norman Napier, vice chairman and treasurer; Dr. J. Thors-ness, secretary; and Dr. William Aitken, chairman of stewards. Also among the guests were Herb Hill, Mrs. Peters, Dave Fraser and Ken Irvin, active members of the present church. Following scripture reading, vice-chairman and treasurer N. D. Napier outlined the steps which preceeded the Sunday sod-turning ceremony. Problem of finding more room for church activities first became . apparent in 1951, he said. A committee was appointed in 1952 to investigate possibilities of new (See FIRST SOD, Page 2) Plans Out Today For Arena Protect : -$'-_:�" �'"'�"' i ''�- � � ;./. *, ��v.^-v �; - � Bidding opens' foddy and closes at noon Friday for a renovation project which is designed to modernize Prince George Civic Arena and expand its seating capacity to 1200 persons. Prince .George Parks Board, sponsors of the project, have �30,-000 with \vhich to carry out the construction work, and .$35,000 with which to' install artificial ice facilities. Continuance of the program will hinge on.,the amountyof the renovation bids. At a special meeting last week the parks board voted to accept the $35,879 artificial ice bid of J. H. Lock & Sons Ltd., Vancouver. > The Vancouver firm was low bidder on the project in a range which ran as high as $44,000. Parks Board Chairman Syd Perry told the Citizen at the week-end that the entire'project will now hinge on whether building contractors can keep their costs within the . $30,000 available. ^ Limiting the amount of money to be spent on renovation and modernization of the old arena is a city council motion that it will supply up to $65,000 total, and not a cent more. Replying to an editorial in Monday's Citizen which advocated' the parks board abandon its plan of renovation in favor of a longer term project which would result in a completely new structure, Mr. Perry said he had reason to believe that the interval would be too long. He said that im-talks with city council he had been assured that future committments against the city's borrowing power preclude the possibility of presenting a money bylaw for a new arena for five years'. "Five years is too long to wait for a growing community like Prince Gearge," he said. At the same time, he added, he is reserving his decision on the wisdom of the arena renovation project until all bids are in hand. . "1 am certainly not in favor of expending any mpre than $65,-000 on the present arena, and neither is the rest, of the board, even if more money was�available for the purpose," he said. He stated that engineers have approved a proposal to widen the -building, a step which the Citizen's editorial said "does not appear practical." If tendered costs on the renovation are too high, said the parks chairman, the' board might consider an alternative project whereby only artificial, ice facilities would be installed. � These could be readily moved to a new arena when one is built. Mr. Perry said that the $35,000 plant and .pipes should- not, therefor, be thought of as an expenditure on the arena itself. The system is designed to utilize plastic pipe so that it can be moved to another building with a minimum of difficulty.. If a new arena was built some*, time in the future, Mr. Perry said, the present building could be used solely as a.skating rink or could be turned over, to the city for such purposes as an equipment shed. Plans for renovation of the building arrived in the city on Friday. They were prepared by C. T. Hamilton, consulting civil and structural engineer, who originally designed the arena. They call for reducing width of the ice sheet by six feet, to 73 feet, and its length by a similar distance to.179 feet. . East and west walls of the building would,, be moved outwards to accommodate 16 tiers of seats, anU the roof-lino of the main structure\\vbuld be continued over the bleacher area. Highest seats in the bleacher sections would be .approximately 12 feet from the ground. ' A 25 foot by 22 foot compressor room for the ice-makiri'jt apparatus would be constructed as an addition at the northeast corner. The building would have one main entrance 10 feet wide and served by'two ticket booths. Two other large doorways are incorporated into the extreme east and west ends of the north wall, and allowance is made for nine fire exits. Persons entering the arena would do so in a'direct line to a . wide corridor leading east and west to bleacher sections. On either side of the entrance on the ground floor would be men's and women's skate rooms, public washrooms, a coffee bar and dressing rooms for home and visiting hockey teams. Upper storey of the noYErT'end of the building would remain a refreshment room and would be served by staircases leading to it from east and west bleacher sections. Players' benches would be shifted to the west side of the ice sheet; while accommodation "for officials and the penalty, box " would be on the east side. In an effort to keep construction tenders within the 'budget, the parks board will undertake to perform some of the prepara- expenditure for artificial ; ice tory work with volunteer labor.