~ Page 2 THE TRIBUNE, WILLIAMS LAKE, B.6. Thursday, May 26, 1955 Williams Lake Tribune Established 1931 Clive S.iangoe, Editor Published every Thursday at Williams Lake, B.C. By The Tribune Publishing Co. Member: Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association British Columbia Division, C.W.N. Subscription: per year Outside Canada Payable in Advance ADVERTISING RATES ON APPLICATION Second Class Mail by the Post Office Department, Ottawa Unfair Restriction Health Minister Eric Martin’s latest ‘freeze’ order on hospitals in British Columbia is proving as unpopular an ap- proach to the problem of rising costs for these institutions as his first such order was in 1952 Mr. Martin’s policy on salaries for hospital workers im- plies that these people are being overpaid for their services, an implication which might have some basis in fact in certain inStitutions, for all we are aware, but is a loose one when applied generally to public service. The principal danger we can see to these blanket ‘‘freeze™ orders is that eventually the government is going to find that directors of hospitals who have been operating on an econom- ical basis are going to wash their hands of this volunteer job and step back to their uw affairs te the ultimate loss of the people of the province who have tu {uot the bills. Take the case of our own hospital. Because the directors felt that nurses’ aides on staff were working on a depressed salary basis, a month before the freeze order they authorizea an increase to the munificent salary (basic) of $130 a month Mr. Martin tells'us in generalities that the salary cost in hospitals in B.C. in the past five years has jumped 150 percent Part of this is due to increases in staff and part to increased rates of pay. * War Memorial Hospital has contributed to this rise of course, but we do not think the jump here would equal the provincial rate of climb. We have increased our staff here because we have been forced to keep up with population increases. In the case of the nur aides and their salary schedules, this has risen five percent in the past four (excluding the present raise) which we do not feel warra a government “‘hold the line” order. But result of the order is that this latest raise authorization now becomes the respon- sibility of the hospital board. If the policy is maintained, which seems doubtful after the experience of the 1952 freeze order, it could cost the people of this district around $1200 a year. We think that even the formulators of such a policy would agree that this would be unfair treatment, but if there is one example here there is in all probability many others through- out the province. es’ Opportunity To Be Different With town planning and zoning being foremost topics of conversation around Williams Lake these days, particularly between the Village Commission, Board of Trade and P.G.E. officials, we thought the following observation krom the Elmwood (Man.) Herald might bear reprinting. “Most of the downtown areas in our cities and many towns are badly congested just because the builders did not look ahead. There are few parks and often these are neglected. And .to the casual motorist at least, the majority of them look exactly alike. Towns and cities that are really differemee and attractive in Canada stand out like a peacock in a barnyard filled with Plymouth Rocks.” We hope the results of the engineering company’s town planning survey, together with the energies of our local authorities will bring the Williams Lake of the future well out of the ‘Plymouth Rock’ stage. Not So- Fast, Please! “Bffective July 1, 1 operators will no longer ask the name of the calling party on long distance calls. Oper. will record this name only if the calling party volunteers it.” This notice, enclosed with the latest bills of B.C. Telepfone Company, is one that should arouse spirited public protest. It means, in effect, that every telephone customer will henceforth be at the mercy of the most inefficient long distance operator on his exchange staff. It means that a customer will have no chance, if some other party has made unauthorized use of his telephone, to obtain redress. In a private home, chances of such mishaps are not as frequent as they are in stores and business offices. In a place of business, the new ruling is giving the telephone company an advantage it would not dream of conceding to those who supply B.C. Telephone with goods and services. New company ruling means that in future, if you wish to know the names of persons who place long distance telephone calls over your phone, B.C. Telephone will not be able to tell you unless the calling party has volunteered his name to the operator. The fact that the company will no longer ask the calling party’s name makes it absurdly simple for un- authorized persons to use other people’s phones for long dis- tance calls on which management has no check. We are sure the new rule will make things much e: for B.C. Telephone, “thereby permitting faster service” as the company says. It may be doubted, howev that the public considers speed even more imperative than being accorded accurate and fair treatment by the phone company. It is to be hoped that every board of trade and municipal council within the company’s service areg will protest the new regulation as untair to telephone subscribers. Frankly, this paper would love to do business with the telephone company the way they intend to provide Jong dis- tance service. At present, life is much more complicated for us when B.C, Telephone runs an advertisement. It comes through rtising agency, and must be accompanied by a number- tion order which gives complete instructions as to date of insertion aud e of the advertisement. Bills, itemizing each advertisement inserted-during the month, must be furnished. In addition, the company’s advertising agency require checking copy every issue a telephone company advertisement appears. What is mor Ss B.C. Telephone itself has a checking copy sent to its own advertising department. We wonder, in our smal] town fashion, what will happen | if we send a notice to B.C. Telephone saying that effective July | 1 The News does not propose to question the authority of anyone | who might care to insert an advertisement in our paper ana} tell us to bill the phone company. We wonder, too, how long we would wait for the money if we sent them a bill for such an unauthorized advertisement. You can be mighty certain B.C. Telephone would not lei anyone else treat it in the high handed manner it proposes to long distance patrons. serve its should be told to be less speed , ts proposed billing practices. —Abbotsford-Sumas-Matsqui News. That is why the company and a good deal more fair, in re Bie?’ HEELS ARE. OEFINICE The Cracker Barrel Forum By A. J. Drinkel While chairman Blunt was perus- ing the agenda for our last hold- forth one of the boys was strugglin frantically with his hip pocket. Fine ally, from amongst a collection of miscellany that surpassed anything ever to accumulate in a ladies" hand- bag he extricated a copy last weeks Tribune. Tapping the of front page he s “Well, what do you know, they finally got around to campaigning, officially. for donations to the Hos- pital Building Fund”, And not be- fore time quoth the chair who seem- ed to be in testy humour. However, he went on to say “It may be news to you that when Dr. Ringwood last ap- proached the seat of the mighty with the plans for the proposed extension he was able to inform the high priest of B.C.H.LS. that he had left behind him a hospital with almost 200% bed occupancy or two patients for every regular bed.” Shorty promptly began cogitating whether the nur- ses slung ham- mocks over the beds or under- neath. He opined it would be a pretty stuffy bus- iness either way to say nothing of the clutterment in the aisles. Frenchy inter- yened to say he had always thought les were for brides, not bedrid- s. (the boys get quite witty on occasion). From back of the counter Angus enquired “Why all the fuss now, they already have over 5,000.- 00.’ That is true, countered Ole, de but don’t let that fool you inte be- lieving an all-out effort is not needed lo scare up the rest of it. It is 2 right noble start we must admit and one that speaks volumes for the s rit of this district. Those early, solicited contributions helped un- con- vince the government our people are in deadly earnest about onlarging their hospital. They constituted a tractor which could not lightly be ig- nored. ONLY PART OF PICTURE Someone then expressed the thought that the lumbering business must be very hazardous otherwise the number of patients seeking ad- mittance could not have risen so sharply. The chairman thought such accidents constituted only a small part of the picture. He pointed out that in place of one sadly over- worked practitioner we now are served by a clinic composed of three doctors, all very able, men, which inspires us with greater confidence. not only in the clinic itself but in the hospital also. This, naturally, has resulted in a great many cases being entrusted to our local institu- tions which under different condi- tions would have sought treatment outside the district. That, and the growth in population are the two predominating factors — governing the present heavy demand for hospi- talization. It behooves us therefore to see to it that these -men, who are performing prodigious feats in face of stupendous difficulties, are given all the facilities requisite to the full scope of their professional skill. CONFIDENT OF SUCCESS The same applies to the éntire s From the Files of the Tribune ONE YEAR AGO May 1954 Over one hundred twenty-five peo- ple gathered to see the first retriever dog trials held here> FelixtNichol- son, manager of the“Canadiar Ba of Commerce announced the gpening June ist of a full-time sub-branel: at 100 Mile House— A highway pa- trol has heen established between Soda Creek and Macalister— For the first time since they have been competing in the Lae La Hache soft- ball tournament 100 Mile House players won the Dingwall Trophy and the first prize money— The B.C. Telephone kas announced it wiil in stall addit phones in Williams Lake— 27. ; FIVE YEARS AGO May 25. 1950 The Village pound did a roaring business when 17 stray horses were rounded up for being lose in the town— The Village Commission has approved the purchase of an auto- matic gas chlorination machine for the water system— Rev. Jack Col- ough has been appointed to Wil- ms Lake United Church— Horse- fly Lake Hunting and Fishing Camp has been purchased by Fred and Herman Hughes of Mount Vernon—- request from the ratepayers of Soda Creek that a bus route be estab- Ished to bring students attending higher grades to Williams Lake was turned down by the trustees— A 50-pound black bear that came to it Dog Crek airport was shot-by Bert Collins— The Village Commis- sioners decided there would be no Sunday dancing at the beach— Dis- trict Indians have chosen four candi- dates to vie for the honor of being chosen Indian Stampede Queen-— Seventy-five local and visiting Jay- ces and guests attended the cabaret- style banquet in St. Peter's hall that marked the installation of the newly- formed Wil s Lake Junior Cham- ber of Commerce— T Y YBARS AGO May 24, 1945 The B.C. Cattlemen are to meet at Merritt on May 28 and 29— Jack McKenzie arrived home after having ed from the RCAR— been rel TWENTY YEARS AGO May 30. 5 Mrs. Nellie Wance-Ragan of Hanceville passed away at Williams Lake. Mrs. Hance was the first white woman fo ive in Chilcotin, her period of idence there covered forty-seven years— The annual field day of the B.C. Shorthorn Breeders was held at the Coton Ranch at Riske Creek— Williams ke is growing up. We started with a gravel path, then a four-foot sidewalk. Now this latter is being extended another two BONES WW Ai oF 5 LEGS— st SCOTT'S SCRAP BOOK * ~ By RJ. SCOTT ing against unbelievable odds which must be removed with all possible speed. In view of the contributions already made and the excellent re- sponse to the recent Hospital Pound Day appeal, we are confident the peo- ple of South Cariboo will give fur- ther evidence of their appreciation of the efforts put forth in their be- half by thé medical and nursing professions, by quickly subscribing the remaining portion of the dis- Men SE SuEee. po HOG. fw araueA p. 5 s gious: SOME DAY BE GROWK Ali MOVIE. DOG, are Fak A SOURCE OF WAS ARAINED 46 PERSON: | FOOD FOR HUMANS CARRY AN EGG, ¢ W His Mout : WIMKOUT BREAKING iN Yes. ¥e z ou . hospital staff. ‘They too are labor-/trict’s share of the proposed. exten- sion. It is comforting indeed to know these people are on the job to minis- ter to our bodily ills when needed. It will be infinitely more comforting to know they have the accommoda- tion and equipment with which -to carry on their humanitarian labours. As the hold-forth adjourned Ah Me was heard to sigh deeply and ex- claim, Maybe bye and bye I get sick Isthink I sendum fi’ dollar. right now. The Pacific Great Eastern Railway Co. Prince George ~ Ly-Vancouver (Union Pier) Ar-Wms,. Lake Ly-Wms. Lake Ar-Fr, George ly-Pr. George Ar-Wms. Lake Ly-Wms. Lake Ar-Vancouver (Union Pier) feet— 16 oz. loaves of bread at 5c. Op.m. ‘THROUGH FREIGHT SERVI Lv - Vancouver-Mon-Wed-Frid Ar - Wms. Lake-Wed-Frid-Sun FREE PICKUP AND DELIVERY OPERATING THROUGH-FAST PASSENGER & EXPRESS SERVICE between VANCOUVER, B.C. AND PRINCE GEOKGE, B.C. Including Sleeping & Dining Car Service Squamish Do DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME April 24 to September 24 inclusive 9:30a.m.-Mon-Wed-Frtd Oa.m.-Tues-Thurs-Sat 6:50a.m.-Tues-Thurs-Sat 1:30p.m.-Tues-Thurs-Sat a 40p.m.-Tues-Thurs-Sat Op.m.-Tues-Thurs-Sat Op.m.-Tues-Thurs-Sat .-Wed-Frid-Sun ICE ON FREIGHT AND EXPRESS T Ik to us about a B of M Mortgage Loan under the National Housing Act. If your proposition conforms to NHA requirements, there’s mortgage money for you at the Bof M . and repayable over extended periods. Call on your local B of M manager. You will like his helpful approach to y. our building problem. Bank. or MonTREAL Williams Lake Branch: WORKING WITH CANADIANS Canada's Fast Cank at the lowest rates EVERY WALK OF W/ BANE Bm THOMAS LARSON, Managet LIFE SINCE 1817 2-22;