BENNETTS BLUNDERS The Sommers case Twelve ministers were involved but only one went to jail There are the words of Gordon Gibson crusty sharpshooting Liberal member of the legislature He ought to know It was Gibsons persistent agitation commenc commencing � ing with his celebrated money talks speech in the legislature in 1955 in which he declared openly there was graft in the granting of forest manage management � ment licences that finally laid Robert Sommers by the heels Vancouver lawyer David Sturdy filed informa information � tion on Dec 7 1955 which formed the basis of legal charges against Sommers Attorney General Robert Bonner sat on this information for two years before taking any action Long after he knew all about the charges under which Sommers was convicted Nov 15 1958 Premier Bennett went up and down the province swearing that Sommers was innocent Bonner and other Socrcd ministers also made many public statements of the same sort Six cabinet ministers including Bennett Bonner and Gaglardi campaigned vigorously to have Sommers returned to office in the provincial election of 195G All knew Sommers was guilty of taking bribes The air of shocked innocence assumed by the Socrcd ministers when Sommers was finally con convicted � victed and sentenced after the longest and most obstructed trial in the provinces history was a measure of the in built hypocrisy of the Social Credit government When Sommers became the only cabinet min minister � ister in the history of the British Commonwealth to be convicted of taking bribes the Bennett gov government � ernment refused to resign setting a record for brazen effrontery and disregard of tradition Any serious impropriety on the part of cabinet ministers under our parliamentary system has always been the signal for governments to resign Not the Socreds They have made their own traditions Gordon Gibson has made no direct charges against other Socrcd ministers but he declared they were all culpable and insists to this day that more than Sommers should have gone to jail Since the Sommers case the inner affairs of the Socrcd government have become as closely guarded as affairs in the Kremlin Several times the opposition has been on the verge of uncovering scandals such as the charges of highway graft and the shakedown racket levelled at the Socreds in the last legislature The opposition so far has not been very clever or thorough about it But it is now being said openly that if the Socreds are defeated the lid will come off a Pandoras box of corruption A new government would have to move fast to seize records and subpoena witnesses UNLOCKED BUSINESSES NOTED Business people should take more care in securing their premises to thwart burglars Aid Dick Yardley said Monday night Aid Yardley was commenting on the monthly It CMP report submitted to city council which noted that 15 business places were found unlocked by patrol patrolling � ling policemen during August With a bare quorum of the mayor and three- aldermen council dealt only with relative ly minor business Absent were Now hear this The minor beef department to the press He refused to give received a complaint from Irate Citizen this- morning Ho sug suggested � gested that since there are nails lying on the pavement near the sidewalk development it would bo a fine idea if the parking meter attendants picked them up in their spare time Charlie Green one of tho gents con concerned � cerned adamantly refused so hate Citizen passed on his idea IN THE CITIZEN Classified 10 11 Comics - 11 Coming events 8 District 2 Editorial 7 Hero and there 8 Sports 4 I his real name and hung up mut t e r i n g Theyd get me for it Football fans are in for a big film tonight At 8 pm in the teen town room at the Civic Centre the Touchdown Club will show two films BC at Rcgina and Montreal at Van Vancouver � couver Polish your specs make excuses to the wife and come along Mrs T R Boyd champion of the Cottonwood Island overpass has persuaded Ray Williston minister of lands and forests to advise the trustees of the island how to make the prov province � ince cough up with the expenses She says shes waiting by the phone for the final arrangements of the meeting to corns through r Weather in Prince George Uulklcy Valley and the Cariboo will be mainly cloudy with scattered showers tomorrow There will be little tempera temperature � ture change and winds will be light rising to 15 mph from the south Low tonight and high Wed Wednesday � nesday at Prince George and Smithcrs 40 and 55 At Ques ncl 40 and CO Peace Itivcr will be cloudy with rain in the morning War Warmer � mer weather is forecast for the afternoon Low and high at Grande Prairie 40 and CO Low and high at Vancouver and Victoria 50 and C2 Last 24 Hours Hi Lo Prcc Prince George CO 35 trace Terrace 59 57 20 Smithcrs 5G 43 17 Qucsncl C4 39 Williams Lake CI 43 Kamloops 72 50 Whitchorse 52 33 Fort Nelson 4G 34 07 Fort St John 58 31 Dawson Creek 58 30 an urges more core Graham and Spike Encmark The police reported that 513 complaints were investigated during the month while fines payable to the city totalled 3G43 There were 117 liquor cases and the liquor situation was de described � scribed as under control In other city council business O Seven property owners submitted a petition asking that sidewalks and gutters be in installed � stalled in the 1500 block Alward Council moved to include it Aldermen Hilliard Clare Charlie in next years program if deem- Unborn baby given blood transfusion AUKLAND NZ Reuters Doctors today released de details � tails of what are believed to be the worlds first successful blood transfusion to an unborn baby The thres transfusions saved the life of a boy born here last Friday The baby has since had two replacement trans transfusions � fusions and doctors said it apparently is doing well Prof G H Green associ associate � ate professor at the post postgraduate � graduate School of Obstetrics and Gynaecology here said the childs blood grooup was incompatible with that of his mother Harmless dye was first in injected � jected into the liquid sur surrounding � rounding the baby He swal swallowed � lowed some of the fluid which was then traced by x ray to the veins The blood was then given through a fine polythene tube Green said the idea was to enable the unborn child to live a few jnorc weeks until its prematurity lost some of its hazards ed advisable by the city en engineering � gineering department The ambulance service report for August showed that a total of 23 trips were made during the month of which six were outside city limits Rutherford vows to berafe civil servants A New Democratic Party gov government � ernment would liberate the civil servants NDP candidate for Fort George in the Sept 30 election Ken Rutherford de declared � clared in a statement released today All organized labor and gov government � ernment workers have suffered at tlvs hands of the dictatorial Bennett and his minions in the cabinet he said Mr Rutherford pledged the NDP if elected would gie civil servants full collective bargain bargaining � ing rights and a new Work Workmens � mens Compensation Act pro providing � viding more equitable con consideration � sideration for workers claims Hospital meets slated in area Residents of rural areas near Prince George within the next week will hae opportunities to speak their minds and ask ques questions � tions about the operation of tho regional hospital Four meetings will be held at which rural trustees will give reports of their activities Tho first meeting of the seiies will be held in Willow River community hall tonight Others will be held in the Pmcview cqmmunity hall Wednesday night Hart Highway school Thursday night and South Fort George elementary school on Monday Lumber mill strike averted PRINCETON CP - A lum lumber � ber mill strike here was avert ed Sunday night when workers oted overwhelmingly in favor of accepting a fcettlemeutf eh Phon lOgan 4 2441 Vol 7 No 186 owned lots in the 1400 block Central from residential to commercial Monday night was adjourned to Oct 16 Earlier the rezoning was re recommended � commended by the Advisory Planning Commission although there have been no applica applications � tions to buy the land from the city A petition objecting to the re rezoning � zoning signed by 21 property owners adjacent to the involved lots was received and several made personal appearances Thq P c t i t ion maintained a commercial development on the site would have an adverse ef effect � fect on the residential property values and asked that it be sold at auction for residential devel development � opment Our future on Central is go going � ing to be commercial whether we like it or not at the present time Aid Harry Loder com mented The hearing was adjourned apparently to give any prospec prospective � tive buyers of the property an Shopping centre work to start next month Clearing of a 92 acre site at Fifth and Central in preparation for a 5 to 6 million shopping centre development Is still c v pected to get underway next month according to city real tor Gordon D Bryant Mr Bryant who negotiated purchase of the property from the city on behalf of the de velopment promoters Caledon Caledonian � ian Leaseholds Ltd said today there have been a good num number � ber of applications from local pcopls for tenancy in tho smaller stores The major tenant Stedman Stores of Canada plans a 20 ooo square foot department store e e Jcnner confirmed that crews ing 10 hours a day against a were working at high pilch to PUBLIC HEARING i rag issue A public hearing into the pro- opportunity to apply for the posed rezoning of four city land and then present case at a hearing Quebec lays charges of fraud against four 12 HOUR SHIFT FOR GRADERS AT PGE INTERCHANGE Crews working feverishly to begin faying track By JIM BILLINGSLEY Work continues- today at a near feverish pitch near Sum mit Lake on the Pacific Great Eastern Railway the first phase of a proposed 100 milc branch line to Fort St James A crew of 18 men including nine surveyors with two heli helicopters � copters five jeeps and three 18 yard earth movers arc work- deadline to lay at least a few feet of track before the week weekend � end A dozer operator for the PGE Hob Jcnncr said he had been working on the interchange 10 and 12 hours a day since Aug 26 a few days after Pre Premier � mier Bennett called a provincial general election their Lumbermen ask right to use foreign ships WASHINGTON AP West Coast lumbermen and port of officials � ficials asked Congress Monday to let United States shippers continue to use foreign vessels to transport lumber to Puerto Rico The Senate Merchant Marine Committee heard testimony in support of a bill to extend the current one year authorization for such shipments Lumbermen contend Puerto Rico is the only domestic mar market � ket in which the Pacific North Northwest � west can compete evenly on the high seas with British Col umbia lumber They say there is a saving of 12 per thousand boaid feet in using foreign ves vessels � sels QUEBEC CP Charges of defrauding the prov province � ince of Quebec were laid today against two former Union Nationale cabinet ministers one legislative councillor and a former high ranking civil servant Charged with fraud are J B Begin former min minister � ister of colonization Antonio Talbot former minis minister � ter of higwhays legislative councillor Gerald Martineau and Alfred Hardy former director of government purchasing services At the same time a charge- of conspiracy to defraud the province was laid against Arthur Bouchard a Quebec City businessman lay at least some track Test ban treaty ratified be- fore the end of the week A gondola car is standing by laden with 800 lengths of rail and a second crow of 35 men is at the ready at Salmon Valley to begin laying the track pos sibly this week The first stage is a 120-rail-way car siding about one mile south of Summit Lake for an Interchange track and a Y at the junction An engineer at the site Monday said all culvrrts ditches and grading was com complete � plete for this portiorr Today bids were opened in Vancouver for grading of the first 40 miles of the extension Dawson Construction Limited of Vancouver submitted the low lowest � est bid at 740090 Tenders by six firms were received by the PGE r itlzn The only daily newspaper serving Central British Columbia PRINCE GEORGE BRITISH COLUMBIA TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 24 1963 A All bids wilt be studied by the engineers before a contract is awarded Highest bid 1674 3C0 wa submitted by Mannix Company of Calgary The PGE will build the inter interchange � change track switches and Y in readiness for the con contractor � tractor to begin work on the branch line A bulldozer and grader and crew men are being supplied by the PGE the rest has been rented from Star Equipment Ltd of Prince George except surveying equipment WASHINGTON WT The Senate ratified tho history - making limited nuclear test ban treaty today Approval of tho pact banning nuclear weapons testing in the atmosphere in outer space and underwater came after more than two weeks of committee hearings and an equal time of Senate debate With a two thirds vote of the 100 membcr senate required for approval the resolution went through on an 80-to-19 roll call The treaty signed at Moscow Aug 5 by the United States tho Soviet Union and Britain was sent to tho Senate by Presi President � dent Kennedy Aug 8 with these words While it will not end the threat of nuclear war or out lass the use of nuclear weapons it can reduce world tensions open a way to further agree ments and help to ease the I threat of war TORONTO VOUTH FACES CHARGES ASKS NEW PLAN MBvftHB4BvftvftvftvftvftBvCwflBvftHVHvftvJBwfttKSw WW 1 fJVw 7c a Copy iVfiiSBr 5B chool board moves to cut building cost School board Monday night asked architect Trellc Morrow to re design plans for an addition to King George V Elementary School and chop its estimated cost from 73000 to the budgeted cost of 53000- Tha addition was to include a 50 by 72 foot activity room stage kitchen and storage rooms with locker rooms and showers in a partial basement under the stage The 17 room school which accommodates about 500 pupils In Grades one to seven pres presently � ently has no recreational facili facilities � ties Facilitiss at nearby Duch Duchess � ess Park Junior Secondary School are used when available Trustee Harold Moffat ob objected � jected to inclusion of the show showers � ers which if deleted would save about 8000 We should take them out of the plans have a slab floor ami cut out the frills he declared But Trustee W A Aitken said I dont think the saving of 8000 justifies the added diffi difficulties � culties that will arise District School Superintend Superintendent � ent J M Phlllipson felt it is not a serious matter especially when short of money On a motion by Trustee Bob Range the board agreed to de delete � lete the bnscmant area and in instructed � structed Mr Morrow to find further methods of cutting the cost of the addition RADICAL CHANGE Parasite no threat to salmon Fisheries officers have ben assured that a parasite hosted by pike will not travel through the Peace River power project to infect the valuable Frascr River salmon run Charlie Lyons regional fish erics biologist stationed at Prince George said studies made of streams in the dam site area this summer have produced a reasonable assur assurance � ance that pike will not enter the Fraser watershed The pike and the parasite it carries is peculiar to the Arctic watershed Scientists feared that the infection could have had disastrous effects on BCs fishing industry The parasite causes cysts in the flesh of the salmon a con condition � dition which would decrease its sales value Grade 1 dropped from dental olan Grade I children will be drop dropped � ped from the community pre preventive � ventive dental program this year The radical changes in the scheme outlined Monday to school trustees by Dr H J Hann regional dental consult consultant � ant propose that four and live year old pre school children be included in the program Last year 430 five-year-old pre school and Grade I six year -olds were registered in the dental clinic The program now operating in CJ school districts is an or organized � ganized community effort to provide dental education and preventive treatment For a fee usually 5 a child may be registered at the clinic for com complete � plete dental treatment Seven local dentists involved in the program accept a reduc reduced � ed rate for their services and the necessary finances arc pro provided � vided by the provinciial gov government � ernment the registration fees and the school district Evaluation of last years pro Grade I child received ade adequate � quate treatment the objectives of the plan were not fully ic alizcd Public health authorities now maintain that maximum bene fits are obtained from a pre preschool � school level program Experi Experience � ence has indicated that treat treatment � ment time for pre school chil children � dren is less than for Grade I thus more children can be ac accommodated � commodated Also in favor of the pre preschool � school program Dr Hann said is the fact that in treat treating � ing pre school children we arc not competing witli the formal school program for the childs attention Exposure to new ex experiences � periences such as a dental of office � fice is likely to make a greater impression on the child at the preschool level and thcicfore the educational experience is more likely to be effective at this lower age group Dentists in Prince George be believe � lieve that it would be most de desirable � sirable to commence the treat treatment � ment program at four years of age and if possible cover tho gram showed that although the five-year-olds as well Wild death ride on river described during inquest HUDSON HOPE BC CPI An inquest here ruled the death of a Dawson Creek doctor acci accidental � dental after hearing the story of a wild ride down Peace River rapids The inquest was told Satur Saturday � day that eight men were tossed like corks after their boats cap capsized � sized near here while negotiat negotiating � ing the rapids Seven of the men managed to swim ashore after fighting the swift 45 degrce water for about one hour But the eighth Dr Mitsura Katayama 35 drown ed A helicopter pilot spotted the tragedy and landed on tho river bank to pick up the doc doctors � tors body which had been washed ashore Dr Katayama was one of four doctors attached to tiio Dawson Creek Medical Clinic Eight indicted in race interference BIRMINGHAM Ala AP Eight white men including a Toronto youth have been in indicted � dicted by a special federal grand jury investigating in interference � terference with school deseg desegregation � regation court orders in Bir Birmingham � mingham Tho indictments result from incidents which occurred when three Birmingham schools were desegregated Sept 4 as pickets appeared at each school There was no widespread violence although several times police used force to re restrain � strain pickets protesting entry of five young Negroes in the three schools Named In the indictments were Edward R Fields 30 in formation director and lead leader � er of the pro segregation Na National � tional States Rights Party Gerald Q Duttou 22 James K Warner 24 Barney M Carmack Jr 23 Jack Cash 56 all of Birmingham and Jesse B Stoncr an Atlanta lawyer Ralph Lewandowski Iff Chicago and David A Stanley 19 Toronto In Washington President Kennedy expressed belief that Birmingham leaders working with his special emissaries can settle that citys racial problems at the local level The president met with ths two special representatives Ear Red Blaik and Ken- would go to Birmingham to be of whatever assistance they can in restoring good communications between white and Negro communities in that city and in easing the racial tensions which now ex exist � ist Kennedy conferred also with Birmingham civil leaders and Alabama teligious lead leaders � ers Mayor Albert Boutwell an announced � nounced that a reward fund for the capture of persons re responsible � sponsible for recent racially connected bombings in Birm Birmingham � ingham had risen to nearly 80000 At Oxford Miss Negro student Cleve McDowell was of Mississippi after he was arrested on a charge of car carrying � rying a pistol McDowell 21 was jailed on a charge of carrying a concealed deadly weapon University authorities said the suspension would remain in effect pcnJing a school hearing Deputies at Sclma Ala ar arrested � rested 26 Negro teen agers on charges of violating state truancy laws as officers sought to head off threatened new outbreaks of racial dem demonstrations � onstrations i Also anested were two ad adult � ult Negroes on charges of contributing to the deliquency of a minor Both were active in racial demonstrations in oeth C Royall He bald they suspended by the University Selma recently