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THE TRIBUNE, WILLIAMS LAKE, B.0.

Wednesday, September 25, ~

Po ETITORIALS |
The Secret Remains Intact

AST week a reader commenting on the voting
system took exception to a particular requirement
of the regulations with respect to absentee balloting.
It was his contention that the necessity of placing his
ballot in an envelope listing his name and address,
was a violation of the principle of the secret ballot.

Although this particular yoter didn’t carry
through with signifying his choice as a result of his
feelings in the matter, we can assure others who voted
“absentee” that the machinery of the Elections Act
completely protects their right of secret ballot.

Here is what happens.

- The person who went to cast his ballot at, say,
Williams Lake, and whose name was not registered at
this poll but at some other in the electoral district,
had his ballot placed in an envelope, on the outside of
which was his name and his home polling place. This
envelope was sealed and eventually found its way with
over 400 others from various polling stations, to the
care of the returning officer. Without disturbing the
seal, the officer and his assistant went through all the
envelopes, verifying the fact that the people named
were in fact registered. If their names did not appear
in the polling district they signified, a further search’
was conducted-through the voters’ list to eliminate
any possibility that the name appears in a neighboring
polling place. =

Those that were registered somewhere in the dis-
trict, were placed to one side for final counting.

Last Saturday the returning officer contacted
representatives of several of the political parties in-
volved inthe election and proceeded with the counting:

The absentee vote envelopes were produced and
placed beside an empty ballot box. Then, under the
eyes of witnesses, the returning officer broke the seal
on each envelope,. passed the folded ballot to his
assistant, who placed it in the box. When all the
envelopes were emptied, the box was opened and the
votes counted in the usual manner.

Nothing could have been more secret. Those
present knew who had voted—but how they voted was
still the invoilate secret of the ones who marked
their “ X.”

Is The Form Clear Enough ?

VER the past few months, crews of the B.C. Power

Commission have been taking up right-of-wzy and

clearing land preparatory to installing a power line
from Quesnel to Williams Lake.

Crews enter. private land after a form called a
“permission to enter private property’’ has been
signed by the property owner. This tyewritten sheet
paper has been scored by one resident as a vague,
evasive statement of the rights of the owners of real
property, afd the powers given by Act of Assembly to
the B.C. Power Commission.

The “entry” form gives permission to the com-
mission to enter the lands for the purpose of: survey-
ing and taking levels and to carry out other
Investigations for the proposed Electrical Transmis-
sion or Distribution Lines. To dig post holes, erect
poles, structures, and to string wires across or under
the lands for the purpose of construction, operating
and maintaining these lines. To do any act or thing
reasonably necessary for these purposes.

It goes on to say that this consent is given on the
understanding that the property owner reserves his
rights to compensation under the “‘ Power Act,” and
upon the completion of the necessary survey plans,
conrpensation for the right-of-way will be offered to
the owner and if agreed to, an agreement for ease-
ment will be entered into and compensation paid. It
further states that any structures, improvements or
other property of the commission on the land shall
remain the property of the commission and shall not
be deemed to increase the values of the land.

Under the Power Act, the commission has the
following right: ‘‘ The commission may, by itself, or by
its engineers, surveyors or employees, for any pur-
pose relative to the use; construction, maintenance, or
repair of its plants or projected plants, or for better
access thereto and without the consent of the owner:
(a) Enter into and upon any land to whomsoever™
belonging, and survey and take levels of the same and
make such borings, tests, or sink such trial pits as it
deems necessary.”

These extracts are incorpoated into the “ permis-
sion” paper, although a final paragraph states the
commission prefers to have the owner’s consent.

James M. Macalister, in a letter to The Tribune,
points out that few land owners have copies of the
Power Act lying around and therefore are ignorant
of their own full rights.

He also points out that when a settler applies for
a-water right over government land, he has to give the
names and location of other people who are or may be
affected by the grant of a right, and if it is important
enough, is required to advertise in local papers.

The Power Commission is not required to adver-
tise its location, is not furnished with details of
fenced enclosures and pipelines it may encounter. The
writer says the work is turned over to various foremen
who tangle here and there with property owners on
their own, backed _by the sovereign government.

Mr. Macalister states he knows of incidents where
crews have endangered private water systems with
construction machinery, or ploughed through private
water supply, without apparently being warned to
protect such installations.

From these reports, there would appear to be
room for a great deal of improvement in public rela-
tions between the commission and private land
owners. In its “permission to enter” form, the
commission has made very clear its powers of appro-
priation. If there are other clear rights of the land
owner involved, these should be stated as well.

scomr’s SCRAP BOOK

RVWNSSsS
UNKNOWN
ELECTROLYTE

COPPER.
CYLINDER

w

DiscovEre!
ASPHALTUM

Ale PARTHIANS MORE, *
AUAN 2,000 YEARS.
AG

Konia. AX
ZO YEARS:
0 ng Panes at tm. Wt ns

Stan out

fo
DISTiReTLY,

L
SIAMESE CHLOREN ARE
REMOVED AC “HE TORSURE.
CEREMONY 45 PROCLAMATION
OF GEIR ALOLESCENCE. xa

CRAP.

C
(see
pice
BATTERIES

bie
ERE MADE BRUT Do. Serenetiets
SAY ARERE MAY
Pike

ic.
ANE ENIDENCE WAS. |

D BY WiLHELN
ARLHEOLOGIST,
‘Ago. }

By A. J.

Site Locations

T our last hold-forth, the boy:
fronted with a news item a

the authoritie:
struction of a new bridge across
to replace the present Chimney
Creek structure |

It so happens the boys had a
heated discussion upon this very
subject some years ago. At that
time it was predicted such a
bridge would have to be built
ere long.

Conditions today differ very
litle from those obtained ~ at
that time. it was felt then the
Chimney Creek bridge would
shortly succumb to old age; also
the hazards of that route would
become increasingly intolerable
in the light of increased traffic
higher speeds, heavier payloads
and so forth. Consequently, the
debate centred around the most
suitable site for the new sirue-
ure.

It was geerally tonceded if

laced so) eleie near the
mouth of the Chileotin River
and Alkali Lake valley, it would
serve the entire Chilcotin area.
It would make no appreciable
change in the distance to Wil-|
liams Lake and points north, but
it would reduce considerably the
distance to all points south,

It would make the innumer-
able beauty spots of both the
Chileotin and Dog Creek areas
infinitely more accessible to
tourists and if we are to main-
tain tourist interest the building
of an alternate route to the
Cariboo is inevitable.

OTHER BEAUTY SPOTS

People just do not appreciate
having to return by the same
route as they come in by,
especially when there is far, far
more to be seen if only they
could get to it. We wonder
how many readers of ‘The
Tribune have traversed the
route from Williams Lake
through Springhouse, Dog Creek, |
Jesmond, Pavilion to Lytton. It
is without doubt unsurpassed on
the American continent for’

For A New Bridge

The Tribune of September 11, to the eifeet
are contemplating the con-

THE CRACKER’ BARREL FORUM

Drinkell

were con-
ppearing in

the Fraser
variety of scenic beauty. And
how many have explored the
wonders of the Chileotin? The
facilities of the Dog Creek Air-
port would become more readily
available to the military estab-

lishments on the west side of the
Fraser in case of emergency.
The construction of the Moran
Dam—another of those inevi-
tables—will put the Churn
Creek Bridge out of service, a
matter which should not be lost
sight of when selecting the site
for a new structure, which
would have to be of the high-
level variety.

“Phestiver is fairly narrow
near the mouth of the Chilcotin,

thug is
ss = put it faxther

north would eduse most of the
Chilcotin ‘traffic to travel many
unnecessary miles, while any site
calling\ for the utilization of the
river road‘to Soda Creek would
add to the travel hazards rather
than lessen them.

Figures Reveal
B.C.’s Growth

British Columbia's production
growth is measured in last
year’s report of the Department
of Trade and Industry.

Comparing production figures
in each case for the years 1922
and 1955, tables indicate that
mining grew from a production
in 1922 of $0,000,000 dollars to
153,000,000 in 1955. Forestry
went from 60,000,000 to
528,000,000, ‘Agriculture rose
from 42,000,000 to 132,000,000.

Fishing from 14,000,000 to
70,000,000, Manufactured pro-
ducts from 150,000,000 to

1,800,000,000.

cloth

when

Be sure that you hay

as a small one.

OF BRITISH

Total losses do oceur and

setback without adequate insurance.
to protect yourself from a big loss as well

Consult your Jocal independent Insurance
Agent or Broker. He can arrange coverage
suited to all your needs because he. repre-
sents not one but several companies.

a
. CE AGENTS’
ASSGCI

‘CHE INSURAN

SHIRT

and all his family’s
es and his home.

they do it’s a real

e enough insurance

Look jor this emblem
before you buy fire, auto
or general insurance.

ATIO
COLUMBIA

568-1

mizige the cost of con-| 4

- From the Filés of The Tribune
on man 300

| counted 29 moose which died of
| Starvation and ticks in his dis-
iriet last winter.

The third largest fire in|
lliams Lake conmpletety |
estroyed the Renner Building,
including tie liquor commission,
Premises of lawyers Skipp and

TWENTY YEARS AGO
September 23, 1937

The lo

¢ talked of Anglican
Al

Langley, dentist G. L. Botham-| Church xis Creek will soon
ley, a beauty parlor, three be a reality, with the contract
apartments, and “the Mamiols for building now -having been

kery. All were completely! “Warded ... The dirport inspec-
gutted to ground level in a 90-! (or had to circle the field several
minute inferno. . . Missi times to frighten away grazing

0 days from a claim surveying | “ttle é e could’ Janda.
trip in their Super Piper plane There was condemnation of the
in the northern interior are two| CONdilion of the landing field,
of British Columbia's best-known | DUt it was pointed out that about

prospectors, Bert Lloyd and| 0 taxpayers were bearing all
ert Goodridge, Commissioners| ‘h® expense of upkeep of the
have requested the Department | #irlield

of Highways to grant permission) qaypxry-PIV YRARS AGO
for installation of tratlic light} 5

at the corner of Oliver Street| ibe
and Third Avenue . . . Caught There was a heavy snowstorm
between a falling lumber market’ this week at Lone Butte... The
and a fixed stumpage charge,|»rection of the mortuary chapel,
several small sawmills in the donated to the War Memorial
district have suspended opera-|}ospital by the Countess
tions . . . A million feet of wire|Colonna, is under construction.
has been placed to extend ser-

ptember

ALL THE WAY YoU

LOOK AT THE FACTS

“Facts are propaganda
weapons. For instance, you can
say that Canadians are becom-
ing poorer because at the year
end there were only 116 (count
them) $500 bills in circulation,
compared with 220 six years
ago.

WILLIAMS LAKE
TRIBUNE
Established 1931 _
‘Editor: Clive Stangoe

Sa

Published every Wednesday at

Williams Lake, C., by the
Cariboo Press Limited.

year $3.00

- $4.00

Advertising rates on application

Subscription per
Outside Canada =

Authorized as Second Class
Mail by the Post Office
Department, Ottawa.

vices to several business estab-
lishments and subscribers in
Smedleyville,

FIVE YEARS AGO
September 25, 1952

Assessment of additional tax
levy on village property was
greed to by Village Commis-
jgners as the most equitable
method of raising the necessary
money for the proposed sewer
system . . . One of the oldest
ranches in the district chunged
hands with thé
Wentiek's proper
road to a group of Ame:
from Oregon . . . The hool
Board announced the opening of
the school dormitory this Sun-

of Louis

day . . . Wes Jasper, Riske
Creek rancher, who has been
working for Gang Ranch,

suffered a broken leg and was
Hown to town by the Gang
Ranch plane... Members of the}
Williams Lake Credit Union met |
this week to select their first
directorate ... For the first time
since the air service was in-
vugurated, one of C.P.A.'s planes
took off from the local airport

night alded py fi. 3 is
Noticds have bee posted callin
for tenders for cabinet the mail
trom Lone Butte to McNeil
Ranch, where a post office is to
be opened shortly. -

TEN YEARS AGO
September 25, 1947

Brian McIntyre, aged seven,
was killed when the truck in
which he was riding in company]
with eight other school children
turned over just north of
Alexandria . . . Seventeen head
of sheep were killed last week
by coyotes on the Newton Ranch |
in Chileotin . . . Fred Hooker,
big game guide at Hor:

PHONE 184

Napsshing.

This advertisement. is not published or displayed by the
fly,| Liquor Control Beard or by the Government of British Columbia

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OntetSSION

eo

oe

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with moveable glass panels set in the ceilings
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Low-cost elecirical power is making this and

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