Williams Lake Tribun

NEWS EXCHANGE

OF THE CARIBOO .

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Volume 21 -- Number 47.

WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. Thu

: yor’
rsday, December 8, 1953.

Single copy 10c. $2.50 per year.

New Post Office Busy
Place On Opening Day

Promptly at nine o’élock ‘Monday morning the doors of
Williams Lake’s modern post office were opened for business.

All day long there was a

steady stream of customers to

the new building as townspeople satisfied their curiosity for
Sa ae

a look at the new quarters.

Busiest wicket was the one hand-
ling the issuance of post office box
keys. A line-up was in evidence here
the entire day.

Box holders do not have to enter
the post office proper ta receive their
mail. The outside doors open into a
small public lobby containing the
rows of boxes and a writing counter.
From this lobby another set of doors
gives access to the business section of
the post office with its rows of wick
ets. A departure from the old type of
“Sereen line” that extended from the
floor to ceiling is noticeable ‘right
away. The working counters now fol-
22 ee

Henry Greer Castillou
Called To Bar

Henry Greer Castillou, son of
Judge and Ms. Henry Castillou, of
‘Williams Lake, was called to the B.C.
bar Monday at a ceremony in Su
preme Court presided over by Mr.
Justice Wilson.

The new barrister is also a gradu-
ate in forestry engineering and plans
on finishing several forestry con-
tracts on Salt Spring Island before
he enters legal practise in Vancouver.

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HEADS LEGION W.A.

photo by Blackwell's

Mrs. Don Mars, who was elected
at the recent annual meeting of the
Women’s Auxiliary to the Canadian
Legion as president for the coming
year.

low the trend found in banks with
low, glass partitions separating the
employees from the public. Large
plate glass windows surrounding the
building give it a look of spacious-
ness.

Although the main part of the post
office will be open at 9 a.m. daily, the
outer lobby containing the boxes will
be open at $ a.m. and close at 9 p.m.
‘All of the boxes have now been
rented. !

Employees have not really nad a
chance to enjoy the improved condi-
tions over the old building. They
worked Sunday moving equipment
and mail and added to the general
confusion of such a shift, the Christ-
mas rush is beginning to be felt with
no extra staff due to be taken on
until next week.

Customers renting boxes were find-
ing the things a little difficult the
first day too. After they had located
heir number they usually had a
i struggle to open the box with the new
keys showing a tendency to stick.

There was no official opening to
mark the occasion of a new servich
for the community. Waiting at the
door to get in when Postmaster Cece
Rhodes turned the key were Pat
Stinson and Eric O'Dell, Sr. Mr.
Rhodes did a quick switch from his
doorman role to get behind the
counter in time to hand Mr. Stinson
the first mail through the General
Delivery wicket. A press photograph-
er was on hand to mark the occasion
for posterity. :

‘The official post office opening has
peen delayed until such time as the
entire Federal- Building is complet-
ed when a ceremony will be held.

First Snow Fall
Blankets Town

The first snowfall to be worth
mentioning was recorded in Wil-
liams Lake Monday night and added
by intermittent falls Tuesday left us
with quite a blanket of white.

Mild weather conditions in the
middle of the days have resulted in
a number of. minor accidents as roads
and streets became slick with ice.
Most spectacular mix-up oceurred
Tuesday morning on Sugar Cane hill
when three vehicles tangled. Esti-
mated damage to all cars was $300.

Chetwynd Says

Highway Work

May Be Done In Two Years

The provincial government hopes to have the Cariboo
Highway re-surfaced to Prince George within two years, with
the possibility of the work only taking one year, Hon. Ralph
Chetwynd. Minister of Trade and Industry is reported to have

told a meeting of the Clinton

Chamber of Commerce at the

South Cariboo centre last Monday.

he report of the meeting, which
appeared in the Ashcroft Journal,
goes on to say that Mr. Chetwynd re-
yealed the appropriation for next
year’s public works program is the
same as that for 1953.

‘The Minister joke on the new
machinery tax explaining that it is
deductable from income tax. It is the
beginning of the removal of tax from
land and homes. He particularly
stressed the income tax deduction

angle. i

Speaking of the Pacific Great Bast-
ern Railway, Mr. Chetwynd sail
there is a strong movement afoot to
have the rails torn up south of Lil-
looet. He said he considered this @
dangerous policy. This country needs
the PGE to yun into Vancouver, both
from a commercial and economic
standpoint and also from a safety
‘standpoint in case of war or a dis-
aster to the other railway lines
throvgh the Fraser Canyon. He urged
cattlemen and other strong repre-
sentative bodies in this country to
pombard the government in the
strongest possible terms to work for
completion of the PGE to Vancouver.

He said he plans to be in Ottawa
in the near future to spearhead PGE

talks there and to attend the Dom-

inion-Provincial Tourist Conference.

Opposition was expressed by sey-

jag, | Commission resulted

|eral members of the chamber to the
idea of having the name of Highway
No. 2 changed to No. 97. Mr. Chet-
wynd explained that the proposal was
to have Highway No. 2 kept on the
signposts and No. 97 underneath it.
Members felt the name Cariboo High-
way should also appear on the signs.

A request from residents of Chasm
and. Clinton Sawmills to be supplied
with power from the B.C. Power
in the minis-
ter promising to take the matter up
with the proper authorities in Vie-
toria.

The condition of the cemetery was
discussed in some detail and Mr.
Chetwynd thought it probable that
a grant might be made to help keep
it up, in view of the fact that some
of the graves are known to be quite
old.
foe eda

|| ELECTION RESULTS
For the convenience of the
|| public, The Tribune will again,
|] operate a telephone si vice on
| s of the election next

the result
Thursday.

Results should be known
about 7:30 p.m. Just ask the
operator for 56R3.

Po

|
|

While an estimated one million head of beef cattle have been
moved, ouc of drought-ridden range-lands of south and south-
western U.S. this year, to be sold at sacrifice prices or destroyed,

Apache Indians of the San Carlos:
creased their herds and lost none

men give the Indians credit for long-sighted range management
that has provided water in this period of drought and admit the
Apache can still teach the paleface a good deal about rai
This cattle round-up on the Gila river shows the Indian herd in

prime condition.

DROUGHT

Election Next

Returing Officer Joe Smith.

The three who will stand for the
two vacancies on the Board of Vil-
jage Commissioners are retiring com-
missioners Malcolm F. ‘Mac’ John-
son and Anthony A. ‘Tony’ Borkow-
ski, and a newcomer to the civic field,
Herbert John ‘Herb’ Gardner.

Mr. Gardner, local manager of H.
J. Gardner & Sons Ltd., announced
his intention of running Wednesday.
Although this is his first attempt to
secure a seat on the commission, he
has been prominent in community
work since he came here from his
native town of Quesnel in 1940. He
served six years on the Board of
School Trustees. the last one as board
chairman. He was president of the
Board of Trade for two years in 1944
and ‘45, and during the war was 0.C.
of the 39th Company of the Pacific
Coast Militia Rangers. He is 37 years
of age.

Centra! Press Canadian

-reservation, Arizona, have in-
through drought White cattle- In announcing his intention of run-
ming, Mr. Gardner states that his
main interest is to see that something

is done about the condition of the

ing cattle.

ENGINEERS WILL
MAKE NEW PLAN
OF SEWER SYSTEM

The argument that commission-
ers have been carrying on about the
relative merits of lanes and streets
as routes for the proposed sewer sys-
tem lines will probably end up with
a compromise arrangement.

Last Friday the. commissioners |
sweated over a layman’s plan of the
system using lanes wherever they
thought it tebe feusible. This week
two representatives of the engineer-
ing firm entrusted with the project
plan arrived in town and agreed that

Juycees To Sponsor Stewardship Meet

The annual custom of holding a, erty owners to ascertain the general
stewardship meeting prior to the! feeling on the proposed sewer system
civic election will again be observed | for the village. It is estimated that it

Junior Chamber of Commece.
Monday night at the Parish Hall
Village Commissioners will” report)
on the progress of village affairs
over the past year. Time will also be
allotted to candidates for the coming
election to give their opinions on
|syhat: future policy. should. be.
Co=missioners are extremely anx-
ploug +8 have 5 good turnout of prop

this year under sponsorship of al take up to $1200 to handle the

| Francisco.

preliminary work of preparation of
a by-law for the system and commis-
sioners would like a definite idea of
the trend of opinion before proceed-
ing.
The meeting will start at 8 p.m.

Les Pigeon returned last week

from a month's vacation at San

in some cases the use of lanes would
be feasible.

They have taken the suggestions
away with them and will work out a
revised plan to incorporate the sug-
gested changes, including the use of
two disposal beds instead of a single
tank.

Likely to be left out of any project
contemplated at this time will be
the new sub-division. Originally this
was included, but commissioners are
swinging to the opinion that it should
be left out to keep initial cost down.
This opinion will likely prevaii un-
less property owners in the sub-divi-
sion can make their voices heard.

Suggests Street
Name Be Changed

E. G. ‘Tony’ Woodland appeared
before the village commissioners at
last Friday’s special meeting on the
sewer system, but liis suggestion had
nothing to do with the subject at
hand. Mr. Woodland wanted the
name of one of the town’s main
streets changed. ©

Mr. Woodland said he had been
giving the matter some thought for
a considerable time and he was con-
vinced that Railway Avenue should
be changed to Mackenzie Avenue
after the founder of Mackenzies Ltd.
pioneer town firm.

In giving his reasons for the pro-
posed change, Mr. Woodland said
he didn’t like the name ‘‘Railsoad”
as a street designation, since it made
people think of a run-down section
of-town. And he thought his choice
of a new one was only right, since
the name of Roderick Mackenzie h
heen associated with the business
life of Williams Lake since the days
when the community was first estab-
lished.

Commissioners felt there was a lot
of merit to the suggestion and in-
structed the village clerk to ascer-
tain what steps were necessary to
make such a change. When this in-
formation is forthcoming the board
will consider the matter again.

Mrs. Maltman of Vancouver, ar-
rived recently for an extended visit
with her daughter and
Dr, and Mrs. J. Haramia.

n-ir-law,

Success of the first official ‘thank
you’ banquet here last night tender-
ed to members of the Williams Lake
Fire Brigade by the Village Commis-
sion indicated the affair will become
an annual one.

There were 21 guests present,
mainly active members of the bri-
gade, with a scattering of former
active firemen.

Chief Claude Huston echoed the
sentiments of the entire brigade
when he said he did not believe that
the commissioners could have chosen
a more direct method of thanking
the firemen than by sponsoring a
banquet.

The chief said the men of the bri-
gade knew the village was in no po-
sition to pay for fire protection and
their work as volunteers was done
with a feeling of community servic
At the same time Chief Huston said
he thought the Williams Lake de-
partment had developed into one of
the most efficient and capable in the
province.

Commission Chairman Alastair
Mackenzie told the firemen that the
commission was well aware of their
value to the town. In praising their
efficiency he said that the volun-
teers responded to the call of duty
as quick or quicker than a paid
brigade.

Mr. Mackenzie paid tribute to
Chief Huston as a ‘go getter’ who
has devoted much of his time over
the years to the brigade. Speaking
of the brigade's fire truck, he said
that not only had Chief Huston
argued successfully the need of such
a trnek, he had also gone out and
pepled to arrange the financing of
the purchas

ARENA WORK BEE

If you like to swing a hammer and
have a couple of hours free or Sun-
day, the War Memorial Arena Society
could use your talents.
rena maintenance committee
rman Benny Abbott has called a
hee for 11 m. Sunday. Ben
he has lined up donations of
Jumber from several mills and the
|plans include general repairs, build-

ing a new dressing room and provid-
jing rest rooms,

ch
work

Firemen Honoured By Village
Commissioners At Banquet

Three Entrants Ensure

Thursday

Three men had filed nomination papers at noon today
when nominations in this year’s civic election closed with

streets in Williams Lake. It his be-
lier, he states, that the village
should embark on a program of grad-
ually bringing the town’s side streets
up to a better standard.

Commissioner Tony Borkowski
would not commit himself to enter-
ing the field until this morning. His
decision to stand was prompted by a
desire to see the sewer system by-law
through to either acceptance or re-
jection by the ratepayers. In his last
year of office he was in charge of
streets and parks. During his term,
Mr. Borkowski has served as village
representative on the Hospital Board
where he has been chairman of the
finance committee.

Commissioner Johnson was the
first candidate in the field indicating
his intention of standing two weeks
ago. Like Commissioner Borkowski,
he stated that there are several vil-
lage projects started in his term of
office that he would like to see car-
ried though. Last year he was in
charge of the sidewalk program.

Next Thursday, December 10, is
election day and voters will have
to indicate their two choices of
the three candidates. Polling sta-
tion will be in the Municipal Hall
(Fireball) and hours of voting are
from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Nomination and election days
came a week earlier than expected by
candidates and the board of commis-
sioners. Several weeks ago an an-
nouncement from the Village office
stated nomination day would be
December,10 and election day De-
cember 17. This information, it
transpired this week, had been taken
from -an-o0id cypy of the “Village
Municipalities \Act. The revised act
sets neminatjon day “as the first
Thursday in ‘December and election
day on the second Thursday.

Candidates will be given an op-
portunity to express their opinions

“Your present brigade is the re-
sult pf the organizational work of
Claude Huston, R. M. Blair and Ken
Rife,” he said.

‘The department has found time to
take on other work for the com-
munity besides fire fighting, the
chairman stated, specifically men-
tioning the work of washing down
the town streets periodically, ard the
original promotion of the public
beach and construction of fioats
there.

A brief history of the brigade was
given by Bob Blai,r who took his lis-
teners back to the middle 20’s when
he said that three men were respon-
sible for the work of firefighting in
those days before the village was in-
corporated. The men were Tom
Denny, Rev. D. A. Resker and the
late Sgt Frank Gallagher.

There was no equipment in those
days and about 500 feet of 13% inch
hose, Mr. Blair remembered, but the
men did the best they could.

This situation lasted until 1929
when three serious fires occurred,
one destroying a two-storey building
located on the now vacant lot next
to Mac’s Pool Hall. A meeting was
held following this to organize a
proper brigade, although it did not
prove too successful a venture. At
the meeting “were Sid Western,
Claude Huston, Ken Rife, Mr. Blair,
Westley Moore, Tom Moore, ‘Shorty’
Kitche and Dr. Connelly. (The last
four men are all deceased.)

‘Tom Moore was elected chief but
later dropped out and Mr. Blair took
over unofficially. The village was in-
corporated following this and two
hose reels and two chemical engines
were purchased. In 1930 the b
organized as it is known toda
its beginning when three men, Mr.
Huston, Mr. Blair and Mr. Rife met
to plan the future of the group. Mr.
Huston took over as Chief, Mr. Blair
as Deputy Chief and Mr. Rife as
secretary.

Other speakers included Deputy,
Chief Bert Levens, Commission
A. A. Borkowski,
gade captain Sid Pigeon. Commis-
sioner Stan Goad acted as master of
ceremonies. Tom Bishop thanked the
commission on behalf of the brigade
members,

Alf Eagle and bri-|

on municipal affairs at the public
stewardship meeting to be held Mon-
day evening.

Pest Office, Liquor
‘Store New Open

:
During Noon Hour

| :

| A second dent in the solid noon
| hour closing custom peculiar to Wil-
liams Lake was made this week with
| the opening of the new post office.

if The post office will now remain
open at noon with a clerk on duty at
the general delivery wicket. The first
break in the custom came a month
ago when the government liquor
store added another permanent full
time clerk to the staff and left the
door open from 12 to 1 p.m.

Some businessmen see the time ap-
proaching when -private firms will
start remaining open all day. Our
days of amazing visitors with the in-
formation that you can’t find a door
open in the business section during
noon hour have been relegated to
the past.

MANSLAUGHTER
CASE DISMISSED

Case of John Terry Johnson, 22,
of Alezia charged with man-
slaughter in a highway fatality near
here September 6 was dismissed at
the preliminary hearing last Thurs-
ay due to insufficient evidence.

Mrs. Susan Hampson of Prince
George lost her life when the Hamp-
son family car, which was driven by
Jobnson at the time of the accident,
went off the Cariboo Highway near
Lae La Hache.

According to the testimony of Paul
Henry Hampson, husband of the dead
woman, he, his wife and three chil-
dren and Johnson were heading for
Kamloops for a holiday when the ac-
cident occurred. They arrived in Wil-
liams Lake about 2 a.m. and wanted
to stay overnight but were unable to
find accommodation. They decided
to go on Lac La Hache or 100 Mile.
Mr, Hampson was driving as they

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