� � - o_ Government Blamed for Lack of Pulp Mill Here VICTORIA (Special.)�Vacillating government policy in the Prince George region may have been the main deterrent to- a badly needed large pulp project in the area, charged Larry de Grace of Industrial Forestry Service, Prince George. Addressing timberland managers attending the 51st annual Western Forestry Conference, Mr. de Grace said that in spite of too many small sawmills and sawdust piles; there is still sufficient volume of timber within a 100 mile radius of Prince George to produce more than 500 million board feet of lumber annually, in addition to chippable milling residues and small diameter wood sufficient to produce 700,000 tons of pulp per year. The timber supply is mostly spruce and balsam, averaging from 1,000 to 6,000 cubic feet an acre. TURNED DOWN "Sonic years ago several local companies approached and re-approached the government with a proposition to establish a pulp industry. They proposed to cira.v a boundary around sufficient timber to supply a pulp mill, set a fixed stumpage rate for an initial decade or so, and they would then produce the capital to build such an industry," reported Mr. de Grace. But the government's answer. cramped by lack of knowledge and caution, was that timber values were uncertain and that nothing could be done until government inventories and surveys were completed. Yet in the meantime 800 local sawmills kept nibbling away at sustained yield units and honeycombing attractive expanses .of timber. Today it would be almost impossible to find a continuous block of timber which could supply a major industry. LIMITED FUNDS "In the Prince George district. 840 million board feet is lodged annually from timber sales managed by the government. In the Vancouver Forest District, out of three billion feet of logs used in 1353. one billion feet came from government riinber sales. "Yet the Forest Service maintains its greatest concentration of personnel and spends most oC its funds on the coast, while a relatively few personnel and limited funds arc used in the Prince George area. Mr. de Grace said that activity is feverish from January to May, when logging is carried on. Lumber trucks converge on Prince George from all directions, fun-neling the rough boards into the 10 or 12 planing mills which handle most of the lumber. SUMMER SHIPPING . By spring huge stockpiles sur- round the planing mills, which ship out the lumber during the summer. Three types of mills exist: (1) small circulars that move to the timber, with an edger, cutting from 5,000 to 25,000 board feet per shift; (2) older mills of the stationary type which log farther out by river or road; (3) medium-sized mills featuring round log or cant ganj; saws and producing from 40.000 to 50,000 board feet per shift. The arch-truck is the characteristic logging machine. It's a cheap truck with a drum winch wtiich skids direct to the mill for dis- tances ranging from five to 10 miles for about $10 to $15 per 1.000 board feet, over snow-covered roads. ' HOLD THINKING "We need less silvicultural speculation and more bold thinking," Mr. de Grace said. "Regulation has curbed an industry which is young, buoyant and developing fast. "Foresters must face up to the fact that after reaping their crop, they must replant good stock from preferred seed sources, at least on good sites," he recommended. He said that strip cutting in. four-chain-wide belts is the current practice, with the expecta- tion that the reserve strips will seed in the logged area. Cut '.he seed bed isn't too favorable without doing some costly scarification. Mr. de Grace said the solution to many of Prince George's milling problems is the merger or combination of small interests into more efficient wood handling plants. Some 100 sawmills producing half a billion hoard feet annually require some 300 tractors and 200 arch trucks. About 15 or 20 larger units could saw all of the present production much more efficiently, he said. FORESTRY GROUP HEAD SAYS: Forest Industry Future in North VICTORIA iCPl � Northern B.C. will be the scene of future expansion in the province's forest industries, Hugh J. Hodkins, president of the Western Forestry and Conservation Association, said Wednesday. (See story Page 2.) Mr. Hodkins, vice-president in charge of limber for Crown Zcllerbach Canada Ltd., said half of B.C.'s virgin forest resources are north of Prince George. VAST ARKA Biggest problem in developing Hie vast, uninhabited area will be access, he said. However, getting timber or lumber out is not contiguous with completion of railway project. Modern logging trucks can overcome most transportation problems in the woods. "Prince George is the geographical centre of the province and there will be big forestry developments in all directions from it," he said. A major problem, from the mill operators' point of view, is finding current as well as future markets. Mr. Hodkins said they are finding increased completion on world markets from other local sources of lumber and lumber products, NEED STRESSED Earlier, Harry B. Forse, chief of protection officer for the B.C. Forest Service, stressed the need for adequate fire detection in the northern part of the province: He said in the area north of Prince George, there is one ranger for every 10,000.000 acres and one assistant for every 5,000.000 acres. Largest ranger district is a strip 100 miles long on both sides of the Alaska Highway. \ The Only Daily Newspaper Serving North-Central British Columbia Phone LOgon 4-2441 Vol. 4; No. 238 PRINCE GEORC7E, BRITISH COLUMBIA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1960 7c a Copy CIVIC ELECTION TODAY Lightest Vote Ever Here Seen from Early Turnout The lightest vote on record was foreseen by City Manager AiTcin Thomson as only >so hud cast their ballots in the civic election by l p.m. today. Eligible to vote on 11 $060,000 school referendum, ;i S|(),ooo City water bylaw and a $S5,000 water bylaw arc '1,357 owner- electors. I'oll closes at � p.m. The ,l\i-nior Chamber of Commerce, us part off Its tjel-oul-lhe:voto campaign, is providing free transportation in the polls. Those wishing rides should phone LO. �1-03:32. Mayor Garvln Dezell and all .six aldermen had voted by 11 a.m. prior to a special meeting of city council. This year's election, in which 170 personalities are involved, is in stark contrast to last i year's when electors chose a I mayor and three aldermen. Some I 51.-I per cent of the eligible voters trekked to the polls. In New Westminster, Mayor Elizabeth Wood's battle with a former mayor and former alderman is the only mayoralty contest among the 2S B.C. cities which will seo vollng todays Voting *s going on in 87 cities, towns, villages and districts. The offices in 30 other communities were filled by acclamation, when nominations closed 10 days ago. Teacher Pay Talks Underway Friday Arbitration hearing on School District 57 teachers' lOu'l salaries will be held in tlie city hall starting at 0 a.m. Friday. The hearing is open to the public. Chairman of the arbitration board is .Jordan Guy. Vancouver lawyer. It. J. AluMaslcr, also a Vancouver lawyer, represents the teachers and Leonard Armstrong, a rancher from Armstrong, is the school hoard's representative. Charles Ovans of Vancouver, general secretary of the B.C. Teachers' Federation, will present the teachers' case. School board's case will be presented by Arthur Gullnian, research director of the B.C. School Trustees' Association. Teachers in this district are asking wage increases averaging about seven per cent of the 1960 salary .schedule. The board has adopted a policy that teachers' salaries should not increase next year. A hoard spokesman said today that during the last 2'j months, while negotiations have been going on, the teachers have not moved from their original demands by offering a counter proposal. MERRY XMAS WILL LAST SIX YEARS FT. BENNING, Ga. (AP) � The U.S. Army will have a Merry Christmas the next six years. This was assured by the recent re-enlistment of Pie. Merry L. Christinas of Collins, Ark. He signed up for six years. FIRST BALLOT cast today in the city's 19fiO municipal election was marked by Arnim Hildebrandt, 222 Irwin. Mr. Hildebrahdt, an engineer at the high school here, cast his ballot five minutes after polls opened at 8 a.m.�Vandervoort photo SIGNATURES SOUGHT Plans for Hart Water District Taking Shape WEATHER FORECAST? Today's sun.will give way to variable cloudiness Friday. Not j much change in temperature. Light winds. Low tonight and ! high I-'riday at Prince George I and Quesnel, 10 and 25; at ! Smithers. 20 and :i(). IVarr Kivcr Variable cloudiness Friday. Continuing mild. Light winds overnight, westerly 20 tomorrow. Low tonight and high to-nioi and row al Gra'rTde Prairie, 20 35. Last 2-1 Hours No prccipLUUoii at liny iioint. Hi Lo Terrace .......... ;!(i 111 Sinithers ...... ;S2 23 Prince George . 27 1 Quesnel .......... 30 11 Kamloops ...... 2!S 21! Whitehorse .... 13 ;:i Fort Nelson .10 ;; Fort St. John 10 ;\l Dawson Creek 13 20 Williams Lake 27 II Now Hear This... "It's another step in the right direction," Bill Cameron said Wednesday night as 36 Hart Highway residents, armed with 300 circulars, filed out of Hart Highway Elementary School. The "step" was the second round in formation of a proposed water district to cover the expanding area immediately north of the city. A total 350 circulars, which have to he signed by those who have title to property in the area before the provincial gov-ernment will consider forming a water district, had been printed. Former manager of B.C. Equipment Co. here and a popular man about town, Tom WiiHcmutc is now manager of the company's establishment at Nanaimo, but he remembers what a fine moose hunting country this is, which explains why he's now here on a visit, lie's a guest at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Hans Koine, and asked this ayein how long he plans to stay. Tom replied: I'm not going back until I get my moose, which means I may be a star boarder where 1 am until next spring . . . Citizen Circulation Manager George Ferguson is gunning for a couple of his carrier boys who, he thinks, not only let the air out of his tires last night, but also took the valves to make s .sure he couldn't get going again in too much of a hurry . . . We see where former local radio type Barry Boyd, now of Edmonton, has managed to get his smiling countenance in Liberty . . . Unusual incident this ayemi on Quebec. Car travelling at a fair clip had a lire peel off the rim. The lire was dragged along under the wed, the friction started it on fire and the fire really got going good when it ignited oil. grease or something on the underside of*thc vehicle . .�. There was the odd worried tippler around this morning but it's okay fellows. The liquor vendor doesn't have to shut down unless there's voting on a mayor or alderman . . . Man Gets 6 Months For Blanket Theft A 42-year-old man was sentenced to six months in the provincial jail today for stealing blankets from a CNR bunk ear. Harold Hanson pleaded guilty to the charge Wednesday. He hail a record for two earlier thefts. A Fort. St. James man pleaded guilty to breaking into The Exchange, 1130 Fifth, earlier .this week. He was found with a suit-case and clothing, part of the loot from the store. Stanley Isaac was remanded eight days for sentencing for a check of any record from Ottawa. However, more than 50 were signed by residents right at the meeting. "So far the response and interest in forming a water district has been very good," Mr. Cameron said. "Lots of people are interested and have been asking questions." "And fortunately." he said, "all were in favor of it." However, nearly all land owners in the area have to be in favor of a water district before the government will act. "According to figures we obtained, it cost South Fort George residents a SlO-a-year-pcr-lot increase in taxes and $2.7U per month water charge when they became a water district," .Mr. Cameron said. "Our cost." he said, "could be higher. Or it could be lower, we don't know." First step in support of the proposed water district was taken two weeks a^o when the Hart-way Community Club was pledged support for the water plan by 36 people at a meeting in llie school. "Sooner or later the water here will be condemned and we'll have to find another source." .Mr. Cameron .said. Tin.- forms now being circulated arc also available at Frontier Villa, Ware's Shell Service and Adam's D.A. Service. AREA ROADS SAID 'FAIR TO GOOD' All roads in the area were described as in "fair to good" condition today by District Superintendent of Highways Al l'ark. Sanding operations were underway today on the Prince (icnrgc-Bear Lake stretch of the Hart Highway which Wednesday was reported quite slippery. Mild weather has made for hazardous driving conditions in tlie Chclwynd to Dawson Creek areas. An HCMP spokesman said there were mi accidents or traffic tie-ups flue to icy conditions overnight. fn VANDERHOOF � The nurses' I Christmas ball will he held in St. Joseph's Auditorium here Friday. The ball, sponsored by the nurses of St. John Hospital, will start at !) p.m. and end when the Holmes' Orchestra gets tired of playing. A turkey supper, door prizes and spoi prizes will he included ; in the evening's festivities. Tickets can be obtained from the nurses' Christmas ball committee at the hospital. VEHICLE, PASSENGER DISINTEGRATE Red Man-in-Space Try Fails CHICAGO (AD � The Chicago Daily News says Russia attempted to launch a man into space and failed. This was reported by Paul Ghali. paper's Bern correspondent, who identified his sources as foreign diplomats in Switzerland who have contacts in Moscow. The launching was rumored early this fall. It ended in tragedy, Ghali reported, and further experiments were postponed for several morths. Thj dispatch added: "Russia scheduled its spectacular scientific experiment for early October to precede one of Premier Nikita Khrushchev's flamboyant appearances before the United Nations. "The device, a missile and a container carying a man. apparently was launched successfully but Russian scientists on the ground could not separate the container from its vehicle. Vehicle and passenger disintegrated. "The man in charge of the experiment was Marshal Mit-rof'an Nedelin who later was described as haying died on a mission. "Reports . . . were that Khrushchev . . . scolded Nedelin so severely that the marshal ended his own life," � EXPECTS ANSWER A definite answer to persistent requests for an immediate start on construction of the proposed new Praser River bridge here will be demanded of Highways Minister P. A. Gag-lardi by Mayor Garvin De-zell. Mayor Dezeli leaves Friday i'iT Victoria to join other members of the Union of B.C. Municipalities' executive who will present resolutions to the provincial cabinet Monday. '�'Phis is important to us," said Mayor Dezcil, "and 1 warn to see it'. I can get t() first base with Mr. Gaglni'dl thin Ejirlier requests for stnrl on I the bridge by the Board of i Trade and '.lie Winter Work Commit tec were made without result. "This time I'll gel an answer." the mayor said. ''There is no doubt it will come but we need it now." The I'UC'M executive will present resolutions passed . at its general meeting earlier this year. Mayor Dezeli will also visit Vancouver to discuss proposals for a wood chip industry in this area with coast pulp operators, along with members of the local Industrial Development Commission. "We want to line up various markets For our chips," Mayor Dozcll said, "so the operators here will know where they stand." "To me this whole venture is extremely worthwhile," he continued. "If it conies about, a pulp mill here would follow." SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS Mohawks, Kangaroos win and tighten standing in Cariboo Hockey League. Dove of peace hangs over baseball as American League moves into Los Angeles. Bernie Geoffrion becomes NHL's fifth largest scorer ever. (See Page �!.) NEAR FORT ST. JOHN 81-Year-i Mishap's 3rd Victim FORT ST. JOHN 1.P1 � Mrs. Nancy Apsassin, 81, of Rosu Prairie, has died. She is the third victim of a two-truck collision near here last Thursday. Killed in the collision, which occurred one half-mile north of town were Robert Wilson, (if), and (ieorge Apsassin, 29. both of Hose Prairie. Apsassin was the grandson of .Mrs. Apsassin. Mrs. Apsassin and her grandson were passengers in a hall-ton pickup driven by Wilson. T;: was in collision with a heavier truck driven by Stanley Large of Fort St. John. The half-ton was demolished. I>1 li.WTK TO WED HOLLYWOOD I/Pi�Jimmy Du-rarite will marry Miss Marjo-rie I.itile in New York City next Wednesday, the comedian says. They have been engaged four years. It will be the first marriage of thr 39-year-old former actress. Durantc, 67. became a widower many years ago. Large suffered slight iniurics. . Two other passengers in the Wilson vehicle also required hospital treatment, They were Mrs. William Makadahay, Rose Prairie, still in hospital with a fractured arm, and Harry Chipcsia, Mile 232, Alaska Highway, fractured arm. Chipcsia was released Sunday. An inquest has been ordered. COYNE'S FIRING ASKED IN LETTER TORONTO Tl1) � A letter was scheduled to arrive on Finance Minister Fleming's desk today, asking immediate removal of James Coyne as governor of the Bank of' Canada. The letter, sent Wednesday, bears signatures of more than 20 economists from at least three Canadian universities, Mr. Coyne declined comment until he sees the letter. VANDERHOOF LEGION building, which has boon undergoing a .thorough remodelling, is nearing completion. Here licit to right) are three men instrumental in the building's change in appearance: Jack McOrmand of T. Eaton Co., in Vancouver, which is supplying furniture; Ron Orr of Aqua-Soft Service in Prince George, in charge of plumbing; and Al Brown, president, of the Legion branch. ' .. �Hal Vandervoort photo