Doris E. Bechtley 1158 Melville St. VANCOUVER,   B.C.
Dec6-57
Prince George Citizen
An Independent Semi-Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the  Interest of Central and Northern British Columbia
THE WEATHER
Cloudy with frequent showers. and thunder. Cool, winds light. Low tonight and high tomorrow 50 and 65. Rainfall so far this month, 3.33 inches.
Vol. 40;  No. 64
Prince George, B.C., MONDAY, August 12, 1957         (Two Sections,  16 Pages)
7c per copy
79
PER
N CRASH OF
4
Windfall To Help City Celebrate Centennial
Prince George is $19,401 richer this week due to the efforts of the local centennial corhmittce. Their representations to the provincial centennial directors resulted in a grant of one dollar per person on a population of 19,-4G1.
The population figure was takv en on the basis of all the outlying areas as well as the city itself,; but does not'include any parts of the district which are incorporat--ed,.-   ��-�-�-��............   -.......
To.the provincial government's grant will be added a GO cents-per-capita grant from the City of
Cheque Snatched; $500 In Cash Settles Score
A young woman who came to Prince George with a musical troupe on Friday has made good a $500 cheque which she snatched from under the eyes of an astonished store clerk yesterday.
Trouble began when Brycc Morrison of Morrison's Men's Wear Ltd., llli Third Ave., received a telephone call from a woman who was a member of a musical talent show here at the weekend.
. She asked him to come to the store and return a cheque she cashed Saturday. She said an endorsement stamp on the back was incorrect and the document was worthless if not corrected.
Morrison went to the store arid found three young women waiting outside. He admitted the trio and retrieved the cheque from the store's vault.
He iaid the cheque on the counter-ami while his back was turned one of the women fled with it. She left her two partners behind.
A few minutes later she returned, saying that the troupe with which she appeared here was ill-treated.- However, she gave Morrison a receipt for the cheque and left the store once again.
By this time police had arrived on the scene and were questioning the two "women who remained.
Police detained the pair for investigation. They later found the first woman in a hotel room. She returned $500 in cash to Morrison in lieu of the cheque.
Morrison and two constables struggled with them before they were detained in the vehicle. No charges will be laid.
Storms Disrupt Island Services
VICTORIA (CP) � Electrical storms caused extensive damage in scattered parts of the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island Saturday night.
Two transformers were knocked out at the B.C. Cement Company at nearby Bambcrlon and powere service here, at Lady-smith, Duncan and the Harmac Pulp Mill near Nanaimo was disrupted * brief ly.   '  '
Prince George, making a total of
$31,127.60 available for centennial
projects.
$8,000 CEL.EBUATION
About $8,000 of this will be devoted to a monster celebration, tied in with the Fall Fair during the last week of August. If will include a gigantic fireworks display, a spectacular canoe racej a historical pageant at the Fort George Park, and a community barbecue.
Balance of the money will be split between the two centennial, jyar "projects approved by the 3i'6Vlncial association.
First will come the Fort George Park, on which �114,000 will be spent. Here, 120 acres are under reserve and the money will be used to develop the area into what park commissioners believe will become second only to Vancouver's famed Stanley Park in attractiveness.    .
Tins will include removing old trees, grassing the entire^ area, and construction of a 0-hole pitch and putt course and four tennis courts. OUTDOOR THEATER
As more money is available, t lit? project will develop other angles, but these will take time and money not presently in sight. Parks men visualize a swimming and boating lagoon on the old Hudson's Bay slough, once it is dredged  and  cleaned  up.
They  also  have  plans  for  an elaborate outdoor theatre which would be the equal of Vancouver's Theater Under the Stars. CINDER  TRACK
Second permanent project which will emerge from the centennial grant will be the only cinder track north of Vancouver built to Olympic standards. It will be constructed on Connaught School grounds.
Estimated cost of the track is somewhere around $10,000. It will permit, local schools to develop track and field' Apfirrs to a' far greater e'xtent, than Is now possible.
Completion of the track will see Hie 1008 northern B.C. finals in track and field sports held here, and the provincial junior, juvenile and midget finals.
It is anticipated that in future years Prince George will be award cd provincial finals in the senior class.
Members of the local centennial committed and of the Parks Board were elated at the news of the award. "We have been treated very nobly by the provincial directors," one said, "and that was probably due to the visit they made bore June 8. 1 think they ap predated that Prince George rep resented the center of a large area and that we required more help than oilier cities because of that fact." "
Trade Board May Meet Again To Discuss Natural Gas Case
Prince George Board of Trade may hold a special meeting this week to determine what action it will take if city council fails to put its stamp of approval on natural gas negotiations designed to bring about installation of a local distribution system this year.
A trade board meeting which heard gas company representatives on Friday night was told that a special general meeting can be instigated at the request of four members of the board.
Some trade board members indicated they are in favor of a temporary deal whereby gas can be delivered
AIRCRAFTJLIKE THIS carried 79 persons to their death Sunday in worst fatality in Canadian aviation history. Giant Douglas aircraft crashed in Quebec after nearing end of flight from England, carrying a number of World War 11 veterans, their wives and children. Three infants were included among the victims.
Seven Die In Weekend Traffic Toll
ASHCRO^T, B.C. (CP) � Five members of an Indian family were: killed when a car plunged-800 feet to the bpttojii. ojE^Bonaparte River �canjonnicfirr here early Sunday.
Their deaths brought to seven the number of'B.C. people killed in traffic accidents during the week-end.
Dead arc the driver, Peter John Bones, 53; Alec Raynes, 57; his daughters Emma, 8, and Alice, 0. all of Bonaparte Indian Reserve; and 'Mary Perry, 35, of Cache  Creek.
The five were returning to Cache Creek after spending Saturday evening here. Cache Creek is 10 miles northwest of Ashcroft.
Art Giles,of Cache Creek, who was driving behind their car, said he thought Bones did not sec a sharp turn on the Ashcroft-Boston Flats road.
"The occupants must have lacen jolted out of the car as it plunged down the almost vertical cliff," he said. "As; I scrambled down I found bodiek at various levels."
Giles said that all were dead except one of "he girls, who died in his arms three minutes after he found her..
Two peopleVwere killed near Kelowna withjh two hours Sat-urdy.
Mike Arccqv,' about 55, of Grand Forks, Be, was killed and his wife was ihured in a two-car head-on eollisWi at ISast Kelowna.
Vancouver. Iraftsjnan Rhys Morgan Warrdi, about 25, was killed near Wetband when the sports car he |'as driving overturned. Mrs. Mfc-y Franklin, also of Vancouver, am Max Ongaro of West  Suminerl&cl  were  injured
 p here before winter.
Such a deal was considered as possible last week when representatives for the rival gas companies appeared before a Public Utilities Commission hearing here.
Under terms loosely described at the hearing. Inland would install the distribution system and charge its blanket rate for gas. Prince George Gas Company would hold an option to purchase the system at cost at any time up to settlement of litigation over the local distribution rights. Rights extended by Inland to P.G. Gas would be assignable to the city if the latter decided to create a municipally-owned   gas   utility.
Some 25 members present at the special board of trade meeting Friday evening heard the stands of the two companies disputing distribution rights here, Prince George Gas Co. Ltd., and Inland Natural Gas Co. Ltd.
"I believe the discussions the board heard ... have given members a new perspective on .the problem which is facing this city," said trade boai'd president Walter T. Burns.
Opinion following the meeting indicated that the two rival firms (See NATURAL GAS CASE,Poge 2>
Crops Near Destruction In Heavy Weekend Storm
Leaking, cloudy skies can- j away from lakeside homes.Oth
celled week-end activities, stalled traffic on muddy roads and today threatens local farm crops with destruction.
Weather office at the Prince George airport reported early today that 1.54 inches of rain had fallen since 6 p.m. Friday.
RIPENING GRAIN CROFS on local farms were knocked to the ground by last, night's heavy rainstorm. If 'the weatner fails to clear and there is no sunshine within the next week, agriculturists fear that crops won't ripen before the early September frost.
Sunshine is needed to ripen field crops and mature gardens throughout the district. Farmers feel the first fall frost may hit within the next week or 10 days as a full moon is making the nights clear  and  cool.
Rain1 kept  weekend   travellers
ers who wished ko drive in the country were threatened with muddy roads.
PRINCE GEORGE EXPERIENCED the heaviest weekend rainfall of the summer. It was the most uninviting, cold holiday this month.
Heaviest downpour came yesterday when .9 inches of percipita-ition was recorded in the .24 hours prior to 5 a.m. today.
Several sports events In Prince George were called off because of the inclement weather. Women's softball team was forced to can eel its weekend trip to Giscome when a portion of the Northern Trans-provincial highway east of here  became  impassable.
Highway travellers reported to day that many side roads were treacherously muddy and cars had to be towed through some spots with tractors.
Alcan Carpenters Win Highest Pay
KITIMAT (CP) � Pour hurt-dred and twenty carpenters here and at nearby Kemano won a" new wage agreement Sunday which makes them tin; highest-paid carpenters in Canada,
Their new two-year contract with the Kitimat Riders' Ex-tfliango culls for $12.54 ah hour retroactive id April I, $2.58 from October 1, and $2.73 from April 1 next year.
The present rate i.s $2.28 an hour.
Return of the carpenters to work this morning will enable more than 2,000 construction workers who had been made idle by the 12-day strike to start work sigain.
Elks Club Ire Disturbed Over Kenny Contract
Prince George Elks Lodge is mad today. The benevolent association imported a first-class stage show, and got nothing but trouble for its pains.
From the minute .the Bill Kenny aggregation�"Mr. Ink-spots"�arrived, there was fuss and fury. Mr. Kenny's manager fumed and blasted at the Givio Centre rental, the cost of using local musicians, and with .the Elks over .the pay for the show.
With only small crowds 'both nights, the JSlks . Lodge lost iiiQrvcyv probably $1,000, 'but was willing -tTIOI> by Norman Ramsay of Montreal, MCA said Ra'msaylwas in their employ two years and described
(See 79 PERISKPoge 3)
Westcoast Line Ends Construction
Westcoast Transmission Co.'s 650-mile, $170 million pipeline through the heart of B.C. is completed.
Final wekl in the natural gas pipeline was made Friday at Mils 110.5, close to the geographical center of ll.C.
"We are extremely pleased to be able to announce Ihe final linking of cur pipeline system," said Westcoast. president Frank McMahon. "Although we were pioneering a new area, the entire project is several months ahead of schedule."
Canada's first major gas pipeline will, mark the first large international exchange of natural gas. Full-scale construction began In the spring of 105G, and more than 2200 men were employed each season. Seven million tons of earth were moved in laying the 30-inch welded high-pressure teeli pipe. More than 230,000 tons o|f pipe   were   used.
Month end report issued by � land 'Natural Gas Co. Ltd. eei'ri shows the main line has : than 250,miles of pipe wislded  and ^distribution are 75 per cent compTetc,
Construction has begun., gate stations and work ahead on four branch line
Completion   date   for la ml project Avas o late October,' but indie that the whole system plate before that timei
During the last t Jo-weeks ot July, distribution swtfifij^jjjj^�1^ was completed in Mai/^it' "e v""� and 100 Mile Hou�af>
SELF-STYLED PRESBYTERIAN-LUTHERAN MINISTER, Robert A. Jenkins, is shown being escorted to a cell block Friday after a brief appearance in police court. Jenkins, 55, has been sentenced to a year imprisonment after confessing to a charge of obtaining money by false pretenses. He has pleaded not guilty to a second, criminal offence, uttering a forged document.                                                        ^
I