pees Page 1, The Herald, Friday, September 21, 1979 Taxes said helping mining firms __ ASHCROFT, B.C. (CP) — The provincial government is using taxpayera’ money to gave millions of dollara for mining companies in the Highland Valley, says municipal officials. They say Victoria will be contributing heavily for realdential services such as schools, a hospital and water - and sewer services at ‘an instant town so the com- panies don't have to pay for thelr employees’ travelling Alberta loses money EDMONTON (CP) -—- The Alberta heritage savings trust fund was frozen out of more than $4 million by Syncrude Canada Lid. this but other partners in © oll-sands project may have been luckier. Public relations official John Barr said winter freezing threw a monkey wrench into Synerude's production plans. Instead of: churning out up to 100,000 barrels of synthetic crude oil aday the plant was “limping along on one line" while re- pairs were made to frozen equipment. . Barr was explaining a $4,030,-000 loss reported in the $5-billlon trust fund's quarterly report for the three months ended June 30, The logs represented the provincial government's 10- per-cent share, through the fund, of the cost of Syncrude at the time of mechanical problems. Barr sald it turned up asa logs on the trust fund report but other companies who owned percentages of Syncrude at the time would: probably handle their share of the coat differently. Hecawe of variqus tax writeolfa allowed oil com- panies sharing the Syncrude + venture they may not ac- tually show a loss for the year due to Syncrude, Canada-Cities Services Ltd, has said it will probably report a losa at the end of thia year in the Syncrude venture but Citles Services officials in Tulsa, Okla., declined to elaborate. time, Not only ip the money a hidden subsidy, they say, it ia also being wasted on services which already exiat in established communites surrounding the valley such as Aschroft, Kamloops and Merritt. . The complaints centre on further open-plt copper mining in the valley and proposed expansion of Logan Lake, a company town developed by Lornex, a subsidiary of the British- owned Rio Tinto mining con. glomerate. ; Logan Lake ia about 15 minutes drive fram the mine sites while Ashcroft is 30 minutes away, Merrit is 45 minutes away and Kamloops is an hour away," - Logan Lake Mayor Marie King, the wife of a Lornex executive, sald the company NESTEA ICED TEA MIX Troplealblend with natural fruitflavours, Kmart Rag. Prieat.o9 **! SATURDAY ONLY LOOK HOW YOU SAVE 2402. 1In Tin rw