VOL. 14. No. 37
PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN, THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 10, 1931
New Camps Will Sockeye Finding Open on Highway! Its Way Back to ^Vk Spawning Beds
Accompdation for
and McBnde Nearly Ready
About 500 iW.M. Ferrter Savs Artificial
Seedmg in Stuart'Lake Area Was Benefida[
DRIFTERS STILL COMING
Unemployed Refuse Work. Harvesting to Secure* Higher Wages in B: C.
By the end of the week :t is expected an additional number of camps will be o'ears *Z°< ««d
flsh rcuimln8
number to drift toto Prince George. and with the B. C. wage higher than that paid for harvesting, there ^as been quite an Influx from the praii .es. To shut off this drifting there is an understanding between the provincial ana federal governments that men coming in from the other provinces will not_e_jentitled to benefit from re-1 t'f works being carried out in B. C, but it is not proving very effective, the floaters for the most part being satisfied they will be able to fake-up 'rrMdence in British Columbia. In any event'they are moving on British Columbia from Galgary and Edmonton in bunches.^-Most of them, are desirous of reaching Vancouver, but a lot of the men moving out of Edmonton are makfartg Prince George a point of call.
Thomas Wall, .district road superintendent, says there axe two camps now in operation in the vicinity of Aleza Lake, and one ha the vicinity of New-lands, in which employment has been found for 135 men. Two additional camps are being prepared in the yi-cnity of Aleza. Lake which will accommodate 50 men, and work should b? under way before the end of. the week. Another camp is about ready in the vicinity of Dewey which will accommodate another 50 men, and at
From what has been learned of the sockeye he remains in fresh water for his first year, and then makes his way to sea as a fingerling. He remains at Sea for two years and on the third year he starts back to the bed where he was spawned. During the two-year period the sockeye remains in the sea nothing is known as to the waters it or its habiU. but when they back for the spawning grounds they come in immense schools, which constitute what the fishermen call "runs", of which there may be three or four in the season. Most of the fish get back to the spawning ground when they have attained the age of four years, but some are known to have come back in three years, and still more when they have reached the age of five years. For some reason, not definitely ascertained, there is a heavy run of sockeye every four years, and it !s in this year that the British Columbia canneries make their largest pro ft There are a number of explanations offered for the big i*un. One opinion has it that in some unaccountable manner, in the three years which now give the small runs, the f'sh were prevented frdm reaching their spawning ground, and it has been ascertained that any year in which a small number of fish reach the spawning ground
will provide accommodation for 100 men. The end of the week should see all three of the new camps going. It L5 not the intention of the public works department to fill these camps up entirely with men from the Prince George district, as t he unemployed in the immediate vicinity of the camps have to be taken care of, but the opening of them should reduce the number applying for relief in this city. |
L. C. Gunn is opening two additional i camps in the vicinity of McBride. ¦ which will accommodate about 50 men j each. One camp 3s located about 10 miles this side of McBride, and the wond six miles east of tha-t point. These camps will be in shape to receive men about the first of next week. <*...... —o
H. S. FRENCH HAS
BUSY TIME WITH
DISTRICT FAIRS \
H. S. French, district agriculturist, i eturned to Prince George on Saturday night after serving as judge at the annual fall fair at Woodpecker. He says the exhibits of agricultural products were excellent. A ¦feature-of the :air -was the exhibits of the boys and cirls calf olub. A good start in this direction has been made by Woodpecker district, and it is expected other districts wttll fall into line and be inady for the next round of fairs. Mr. French will endeavor to stimulate interest in the formation of pig clubs by the boys and,girls throughout thedis-
At the Prince Rupert fair this year Mr. French says there were 2500 entries, the districts of Prince George., Smithera and Terrace being well re- , presented, and each got a share in the ; prize money. The flower exhibit at ( Mie fair was dexcellent. and one which ! rompared favorably with the larger j exhibitions in the southern portion or j the province.
On his way home from prince «¦«- j l«?n Mr. French stopped off at Fort j Fraser to act as judge. He ma-de the .. '•rip from Hazelton to Prince George j V car and says that, seen from the highway the crops appeared to be ex-, ccpbionally good.
BODY OF FORMER FILM
ACTRESS RECOVERED
FROM THE FKASKK j
Vancouver, Sept. 8—The body of a; woman was taken from the Fraser r'-ver'below Lytton and has been iden- . titled as that of Ada Pennie. a former- < fUm actress., who was later a resident i of Edmonton. The woman was
ujxm four years later. There is another explanation, that the f'sh constituting the big run. which coines every fourth year, differ In their line of approach to the rivers from that followed by the fish of the other three cycles, and thus escape the toll taken by the traps along the sea coast.
The regulation of these traps has presented the greatest difficulty n the conservation of the sockeye, and for years has been a matter of negotiation between the government of Canada and that of the United States. In Canada the federal jurisdiction with respect to the-sockeye is admitted, but in the Un'.ted States the overriding of state authority by the federal government is not so readily accepted. The Canadian government has appointed a number of commissions to enquire into the causes .for the lessening of the sockeye rims, and if the evidence is reviewed ftiirly it must be admitted the reason is too many fish are being taken to permit of reproduction at the natural rate. t ¦
The Indian fishermen blame the canneries. The white fishermen blame tho bears and the birds for raiding the spawning beds, and the trout for consuming the sockeye fry. and the can-nerymen for their part blamed the traps stationed on the sockeye's line of travel to the spawning bed on the particular river from which it came. They doubtless wore all contributing causes, and for more than a decade there has been a fairly steady diminution in the number of salmon in all the rivers of the province.
B C spars and sockeye salmon constituted tho first exports fro»" British Columbia following the development of the fur trade, and "timber and fish have continued Important export commodities ever since. The restoration of the Fraser, to even a fractional part of its old Importance, will mean a gTeat oral to the province, and if the trap fishing can be effectively controlled the thing "can l)e done. However, so far as this section of the province is concerned it servos sitnplv as the nursery for the sockeye. The fish are too small when they start on their way to sea. : and when they litrlit the'r way back, in four or fivo years, they nre so, emnciatcd by their long struggle that ttiev are unfit for human food. The sotkeye the people of the interior are best acquainted with come out of the can but if the fish wore not running 'n the" lower reaches of the rivers even these would dis-u>ix>ar-
Mr and Mrs. Harry Kennedy and H'eVsoit Scott, arrived in the c*ty on Sunday morning train from Ponce
COOK COUNTY FACES RECORD BREAKING
SALE FOR TAXES
Property Valued at #5,000,000-000 Will be Offered for Sale For Tax Arrears
Opening of Duck Hunting Season Duly Observed
Group of Prmce George Nim-rods Have Two Days Packed WicK Thrills on Fraser
Chicago, Sept. 8—The greatest, tax sale in the history of the United States is contemplated by the authorities of Cook County to ren.lize.the tax arrears up to the yew 1929. Unless the banks come to the rescue of the property owners virtually one-third of the
property in Cook County, valued, at j *
•$3,000,000,000 will pa^p. under the ham- | EngineTrouble on First Day Out mer. County officials assert there is ' .no course open to them "but to offer the properties for 3ale.
Macdonald Given Big Majority on Confidence Vote
Great Excitement Marks Opening of Parliament to Greet Coalition Government
MOTOR BOAT CAPTIVES GREAT RUSH FOR SEATS
; Forced the Party Too Shoot | Canyons to Quesnel
Robert Saul Met Death in Motor Accident Sunday
Car in Which He Was RicUng
Got Out of Control When
Entered Loose Gravel
MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE
Carl Holmgren, Driver of Cat Faces Charge in Connection With;.The Fatality
A coroner's inquest was-opened Tuesday morning by Dr. H. S. Trefry into the death of Robert Saul who was killed on the Cariboo highway on Sunday afternoon. At the time of the fa- i tality. Robert Saul, a .settler in the I vicinity of Decker Lake, was being taken tp Victoria by hj.s friend Carl Holmgren, where Saul was to have been marr'ed and Holmgren was to act as hLs bests man at the ceremony. They were travelling in Holmgren's motor, and Holmgren was at the wheel. Just south of Blackburn s ranch the car struck some looses gravel on the roadbed and got out of control. From the track made by the car it travelled a considerable distance, off and on thiyroadway. when the steering wheels mped and the car jack-knifed back onto the roadway. The two men retained their places in The car, and Holmgren stated to the ;.x>lice that he a.sked Saul if he had been hurt. He says his companion answered him to! the. effect that he had not been in- | hired, but he did not look right, and Holmgren removed him from the car to the side of the road. He says Saul did not speak again, and he was dead when Dr. Ewert' arrived at the scene of the acc'.dent a fe*.v minutes afterward.
The ix>lice have preferred a charge of manslaughter against Holmgren, pending the. verdict of the coi-oner's jury.
P E. Wilson. K. C, appeared for the crown on the opening of the inquest, the jurors being Brian Briscoe. E. Thompson. L. Bontez.. George Boyce. C. Dupre and George Prudente. They viewed the Ixxly of] the deceased and then adjourned pending the holding of o post-mortem.
FORMER KING ^ALFONSO
DECIDES TO MAKE HIS
4 HOME IN ARGENTINE
llondon. Sept. 9—Tho. Daily Express carries a story that the former King Alfonso has given up hoi>e of an early restoration of his'.throne, and has decided to purchase an estate in the Argentine and to take up residence there with the members of his family.
TRADES UNION CONGRESS ANGERS UNEMPLOYED
MEN OF BRISTOL
Brstol, Sept. 9—The refusal of the Trades Union Congress. In annual meeting here, to receive a delegation representing^the unemployed precipitated an incipient riot outer'de the congress hall today.
of Edmonton. The woman was ^;| |""JJJ ^ ^m spend three weeVs
JACKPINES IN PRINCE GEORGE DISTRICT HIT BY SERIOUS BLIGHT
C. J. Hnddon, district forester, js nvestigating a serious blight which Ls :ommon to jackpines and spruce trees n an area extending from Prince Zioorge west- as far as Isle Pierre, and north as far as ChicM'ake. The jack-pir.es appear to be suffering most, a very large number of them having turned red. Local forestry officials-are not familiar with the blight, and branches of trees affected have been forwarded to Ralph Hopping, provincial government entomologist, stationed at Vernon, for examination and report. Mr. Haddon is not certain that the jackpines which have turned red will die, although it' looks very much as if they would. He has seen jackpines turn red In other districts which recuperated, but he does not know whether they were suffering from a similar attack. Mr. Haddon says the bark beetle has made its appearance in some of the ftr? trees In thV vicinity of Hufctom. but it by no means widespread.
A group of Prnce George business men opened the duck season on Sunday with an ambitious expedition which was designed to decimate the birds between Prince George and fclackwater: The party was headed by George. Williams of South and a famous quartette of wing-shots consisting of F. A. Matheson. VV. L. Armstrong Jimmy James and Paul Therres. with Mr. Williams' two sons, who were taken along to look after the game.'
It was planned to drop down the Fraser early Sunday morning in a speedboat which Mr. Wili'ams had been tuning up for the trip. Between Prince George and Black.wa.ter 5.t was figured sufficient duck, would be knocked over to maku the hunters solids .with their wide circles of friends for the rest of the hunting season, and after a day spent in the open they would breast the sw:ft current of the Fraser and return home.
The programme was strictly adherod to up to the point of embarkation. Commander Williams organized his party after the manner of Simon Fra-ser.and the other bands of adventurers who had risked their lives on the mir;hty Fraser before trm. To Paul Therres he gaye in charge the "kicker." which represented the motive power of the expedition. Jimmy James was given the regulation of the commissariat. W. L. Armstrong was g,;ven general charge of the boat, and F. A. Matheson that of the ordinance.
With each man knowing 'his part the speed boat was shot out into the main channel of the Fraser with a mighty shove, shortly after eight o'clock in the monvng. It had been agreed the members of the party should start out unshaven. *so that their faces would be less startling to the duck when they came up with them, and as they took their respective quarters on the boat there/ was not a thought about, the unemployment., or other distressing financial situations.
When the boat wa,s well out 5n the stream Comamnder Williams sent h's jangling summons down to the engine room for full speed ahead, and Therres sprang over to the "kicker" in response. This was as far as he got in the way of meeting the summons from the bridge. . The "kicker" was on strke. and could not be psrsuaded to -turn over. Therres tried every trick lie had in his bag-, but could not raise a spark. After an hour of tireless effort, with thp craft dropping down the river.in the current, a general consultation wa* called. Everything that was suggested was tried, but the kicker remained obdurate. There were murmurirocs~of" mutiny, but through five trying hours Columbus Wi'llianis held 1he crew in check, until at 2 o'clock the "kicker" grudgingly consented to work half time on one cylinder.
Having conquered ^he "kicker' the skipper decided it was time lo make camp and celebrate, and si landing was effected at a point about four miles above the Blackwater. The camp was set up. fires lighted, and the order given for the issue of a ration of co»a The nerves of the men were strained almost to the breaking- point by this time, and they quarrelled over trifles. There was a spring near by but Matheson thought rivet water was good enough. He lugged a pail or It tip to the camp only to have it rejected and In desperation kicked the p\il over and extinguished the fire. To keep peace in the camp the skipper elected to go after the spring water but after he had done so Jimmy James had the misfortune to put salt into t-ho cocoa Instead of sugar, and night was setting-:n before the members got their cocoa, and something to cat. and Turned in.
They made an parly start on M'onday morning only to find themselves .in n worse plight than before. Thp faint spark they had coaxed from the "kicker" late on the afternoon of Sunday had entfrely fled. Interest in the duck they had started out for was swamped in the problem as to how they c'ould got home. Figuring the strength of tlv current, and the man-power he could command. W. L. Armstrong Informed thr skipper it would take three days to fight the Fraser back to Prince Georse. He decided there was noth-ins for 'X but to drift-down the river ^o Quesnel. There was plenty of provisions, but nothing to drink but Fraser river water, but with erim determination the members of ihe party reconciled themselves ^to their faite. They reached Quesnel late in the af-•orp.oon. and created quite a sensation With their sun-burned faces, and two divs% whiskers sprouting oh them, fhey looked more like a bunch of pirate? than a reoresentiative group of tV 'eadnna: business men of Prince George But their worries were over. T'.-.ey go*
R:. Hon. Arthur Henderson Leads Fight Against The Retrenchment Policy
London. Sept 9—That the nafona.1 condition Is critical, in the opinion of a majority cf th? "members of parliament, was evidenced today in the vote taken upon the resolution offered by Premier Macdonald. vircually empowering l|he cabinet to carry on the government of the country on orders-in-council approved by the king, and dispensing with the necessity for parliamentary Sancton. That a majority of 95 votes was recorded in favor of "the extraordinary resolution may be taken elf, good evidence of the gravity of the existing situation.
The resolution of Rt. Hon. Stanley Baldwin.Conservative leader, that the government be permitted to monopolize the time of the sittings of the house to advance its economic policy, was in the nature of a routine motion in that parliament had been summoned for that sporific purpose. It was carried on a division of 306 to 212.
Rt. Hon. Philip Snowden. chancellor of the exchequer, will subm't his budget on Thursday. It is said it will reveal a deficit on the government's operations for the fiscal year of £96,-000.000. but it will not be brought down until after the close of the stock market as a check against profiteers cleaning up on commodities affected by the new taxation.
Arrangements have been mado for a street parade of 3000 school teachers to take place on Thursday as o protest against the suggested reduction of 15% ' in the salaries as one of the coalition government's/ economies.
London, Sept. 8—Rt. Hon. Ramsay Macdonald, as leader of the coatfjtion government, was given a vote of confidence on the assembling of-the house of commons today. Rt. Hon. Arthur Henderson, who was Premier Macdon-ald's foreign secretary in the Labor government led the opposition to the vote of confidence. In a vigorous speech, and to the cheers of his supporters he challenged the statement that the economic condition of the nation necessitated the retrenchments decided upon or. the formation of the coalition government. If any such crisis existed as was claimed by the supporters of coalitaon he said the United States could be counted upon to assist Great Britain. The vote of confidence was carried with a majority of fifty-nine.
There was quite a scramble for seats in the house before it was opened. There have not been sufficient seats for members for n number of years and it has been a. case of first come, first served. The demand, for seats was greater today than it has been for years and members were in waiting hours before the chamber was opened. One member is said to have been in waiting Since midnight. Lady Astor was among those on hand early and succeeded In getting her former seat and placing her card upon it.
Rt. Hon. Plrlip Snowden is exacted to bring down his budget, which will clip $600,000,000 off domestic expenditures, in an effort -ft> balance it, without further delay. When tills ffnancial policy has been launched it is expected that Premier Macdonald, together with Chancellor Snowden and Rt. Hon. J. H. Thomas, will drop out of politics as they no longer have a party following.
OPERATORS ENDEAVOHTNG TO KEEP ALBERTA MINES
WORKING THIS WINTER
Winnipeg, Sept. 9—The western Canada coal operators were in session here today. The big question before them was the consr.deration of plans for keeping the Alberta mines working throughout the coming winter. Members of the conference received advice that the strike, at the Estevah mines, involving 400 men. is in a- fair way of being settled. '
GEORGIA PROVIDES WORK
BUT THE WAGE.IS PAH)
IN FOOD ANT) CLOTHING
Atlanta. Sept. 8.—This state, has decided to give unemployed work on the ronds but it will make no money payments. The workers will be fed. housed and clothed, but there wfdl be no cash payments in connection with the work.
their whiskers off and then telephoned for a motor so that they could ge' home early Tuesday morning. As the party passed. Woodpecker on the home-•yard journev the fair dance was in '.ull swim?, and W. L. Armstrong sug-le'ted The'-' ? op over ancl make 3. nluh- of t.'.vs but a threat to throw him iuf. of the car silenced him. Prnce -Reorse was reached early Tuesday 'rvorninac; bur fteTmeiabers (>t" the ©arty 3.re reluo^a^c 'J 'al'.c of their