SEASON'S i growers ask 1 GREETINGS | nov't aid : ¥ ABBOTSFORD, B.C. ¥ l P P : CL U B $ 4| Full extent of mid-November ¥ ¥ frost damage to strawberry grow- . lly assessed ; E. SMITH % ers has not yet been fu : A % but it is already clear that for this y BRO. ADW AY % es cs section ‘of the pro- ‘ ¥ vince’s small fruit industry it is y BUILDING TRADES @ a major disaster. q Mi % At the December meeting of : i DRY DOCK 1 the Farmers’ Union of Canada » ¥ 4 held at Abbotsford, a resolution 1 ¥ EAST END was unanimously adopted urg- q ¥ : & ing that “federal and provincial q ¥ HASTINGS EAST P governments provide financial aid to help re-establish the ber- a % KITSILANO ¥| ry growers by subsidizing all new planting for the next two 3 % Pp . aa years ... and appoint a govern- : MOBERLEY : ment body to distribute all sub- = %\| sidized plants.” 4s ¥ NIILO MAKELA 4| The resolution also asked for a ; ‘ % long-term loan at low interest A NORQUAY ¥ rates and for a moratorium on a e. farm debts and payments unti .% OLGIN Wlsuch time as the strawberry ¥ growers are back in production. PARKSVILLE if The early frost completely } ¥ wiped out strawberry areas in the Fraser Valley and did extensive y PENG PAI ¥ damage to areas elsewhere in the province. Estimated individual 4 PHILIP HALPERIN : losses range as high as $50,000 reported by some of the larger POINT GREY % erowers, The Farmers’ Union is ¥ proposing that long-term loans be y TRAIL ri “applied according to the size of z the planted area.” ¥ VICTORY SQUARE g Strawberry growers point out ¥ ¥ that replanting * will require the ¥ W. ATERFRONT ¥ setting out of six to seven thous- | } ¥ and plants to the acre and then : they must wait two years before WEST END ; they can expect any crop returns. Unless government aid is forth- : ¥ MISSION 4 coming to carry them over the ; period between planting and pro- q NELSON i duction of the first crop,many of . ¥ the growers will be forced to ALBERNI VALLEY & {abandon strawberry growing and | # 4 turn to other revenue crops. — 9 KINGSWAY CON- “Prompt government assistance, t : 3 , both in replanting stricken areas 3 yy STITUENCY and carrying growers over the ¥ period until their first crops come HASTINGS EAST in, is essential to assure the future é of this industry,’ in the opinion f CONSTITUENCY of spokesmen for the Farmers’ ; Union. Season’s Greetings To All Our Friends gig AGNES & ART ; RITA & BERT WHYTES|$ = RODERIQUE & SEL YAR BRK BES BAER BABS PRS RS Cora & Jack Phillips 5 Peace On Earth i Wish All Their Friends y VI, ALF & JOEY R 4 DEWHURST A Happy Holiday x Of The Season Continue The Fight For To All SEE, a MIRE EE ME IK WERE VETERE SE YE 7 BETTY, DUSTY, / pre NALDA & TOMMY Season's Greetings May the Spirit of the Holiday Festivities, Peace and Goodwill ops woes voc sae 5 Extend Between All People Season’ s Greetings ; Reign Throughout 1956 : To All Their Friends & Mona, Ole and Nigel fo) eir Friends 4 i Morgan SANE EIEN OSE NE NE PSOE SAMENESS AI OES WANA AANA NARA AAAS | EERE Season’s Greetings SAM, IONE, MARY, BRENDA & KENNY ENGLISH ; For A World At Peace’ Season’s Greetings To All Our Friends Peace & Goodwill To All . , Peoples © ; May & High Martin ¥ i * MS SERENA ASAE SAY BECK SRE EE PERE YESS YES He 4 4 K i by? f ‘Aldermen mutter, but consider phone issue Effie Jones’ demand ‘that Vancouver City Council apply for a reduction in telephone rates came up before council’s utilities and airpert committee Tuesday this week, and the aldermen grumpily decided to bring down a full report next meeting “as to whether the matter requires action or not.” “These people are always coming up with something,” mumbled Ald PUC gas award to BCE ires Chilliwack Chilliwack City and Chilliwack District are both incensed over the Public Utility Commission’s award of the Fraser Valley natural gas franchise to B.C. Electric in preference to Valley Natural Gas distributors, and are determined to con- tinue the fight for protection of their gas rights. | t George Miller, after the city clerk had read the etter from Mrs. Jones, president of Civic Reform Association. “Tt wasn’t an increase in pre- fits but an increase in stock,” argued Ald. E. G. Adams after listing to figures showing the net increase in profits made by B.C. Telephone Company. BLE EE EE SRS WIE WIE OEE We Chilliwack City Council sup- ported the bid of Valley Natural ‘Gas for the franchise to the PUC earlier this year, and Mayor T. T. McCammon said he was “very disappointed” with the award. Reeve W. T. Richardson of Chilliwack District said he fears that now “the municipality will never be able to take over the franchise itself.” The two Chil- liwacks had hoped to operate the gas system as a municipal utility and would have been able to take over from Valley Natural Gas. Reeve Richardson said the two councils, would meet shortly“’to plan action. P. Scherle, chairman of com- missioners of Hope, said, “We are simply interested in getting the best possible deal for our people.” and indicated that the matter would be put up to Hope citizens in the form of a plebiscite. Reeve Pete Jenewein of Haney said his council did not recom- ‘mend any one company to the PUC, but wanted the best pos- sible service at the lowest pos- sible rates. Several ' municipalities which hope to operate their own gas utility systems expect to discuss | future plans for continuing the fight for municipal rights. Prize winners names given Following were prize winners at the Annual Bazaar held De- cember 16 in Hastings Auditor- ium: = Suit of clothes, Mrs. V. Mc- Clelland, 5925 Larch; wrist watch, J. Friedman, 1041 Comox; mantel radio, George Madley, Steelhead; coffee maker, Mrs. Winrob, 2364 West Fourth; $15 cash, V. John- son, 429 West Pender. Turkeys were won by: N. Mackiewich, 2412 Turner; K. Morgan, 1780 East 36th; Sam Eng- lish, Michel; E. Engle, New West- minster; Elizabeth Bob, Welling- ton; J. Baher, Fernie; J. Samu- senick, 772 East Georgia; John Maxwell, Courtenay; N.' Chap- delaine, Trail; O. Carlson, Lake Cowichan; Sharon Worth, Nan- oose Bay; I. Hawkins, 3413 West Ninth; E. Hestrin, 3117 West 16th; M. Bergren, Lake Cowichan; Mrs. Young, 6735 Brooks; }A. Smith, 3711 Inman, South Burn- aby; P. Minarik, Nanaimo; K. Koseff, 825 Victoria; B. Boylan, 149 North Kootenay; L. Taywick, 1315 Lakewood Drive. In her lette¥ Mrs. Jones re- ferred to a probe carried out by the Combines Investigation ‘No McCarthyism’ declares Douglas — i REGINA Liberal attempts to have two civil servants fired because they attended a meeting which helped to raise funds to force a retrial for Morton Sobell, now serving 30 years in Alcatraz, were de- scribed as “the very basis of Mc- Carthyism” by Premier T. C€. Douglas this week. “Employees of this government have the same right to attend public meetings as any other citi- zen of the province,” said Doug- las. Alex Cameron, Liberal MLA, had demanded that the govern- ment fire deputy labor minister Herbert Elkin and Dr. Murray Acker, the health department’s research director, for attending the meeting. of profits into related compan- ies by the B.C. Telephone Com- pany. The investigation was forced by an application of six Vancouver citizens, including Mrs. Jones. “Our application alleged that the B.C. Telephone’ Company follows a practice of buying equipment and supplies almost exclusively from related compan- ies, at prices which are excessive monopoly prices not based on free competitive bidding,” said Mrs. Jones’ letter. The CRA urged city council to apply to Board of Transport Commissioners “for a return to the telephone ratés in effect \prior to 1953.” Press distorted - Montreal protest By HARRY BINDER MONTREAL of “vandalism,” has distorted the significance of the demon- strations against recent fare increases. The demonstrations were the expression of public indignation and they had the support of the majority of citizens. There is a widespread feeling here that the provincial govern- ment and the Montreal city ad- ministration cannot escape full responsibility for the outbreak of public indignation “against the Montreal Transporation Commis- sion’s increase in transit fares. The transportation commission is a creature of the Duplessis government. It is not respons- ible to the city executive or city council. Nevertheless, citizens hold the Drapeau administration responsible in large measure, be- eause it failed to express public resentment against this unwar- ranted fare increase to 25 cents for two tickets. Imposition of heavy jail sen- tences upon youngsters who threw stones through steet car and bus windows will not deflect the public anger. The labor move- ment, representing the AFL, CIO and Catholic Syndicate unions, have already announced plans for an organized boycott against the tramway system. In a joint statement, William J. Smith and Eucher Corbeil, national president and general chairman of the CBRE, stated: “These problems remain as a festering sore to be a source of conflict to the public, the author- ities and MTC employees. No solution has yet been found and unless one is, public exaspera- tion will be expressed from time to time.” ax Peace Council plans meeting ' “The year now drawing to a close saw created favorable con- ditions in which real agreements for peace can be reached in 1956,” B.C. Peace Council said this week in a press release. “How can we help make sure that the promise of Geneva will be fulfilled in the coming year? That is the question to be dis- the council to be held, Sunday, January 8, in the canteen, Pen- der Auditorium,” the statement continues. “We cordially invite all who are interested in preventing an atomic war to attend this ses- sion of the council. It will be- gin at 10 a.m. and will last till about 4:30 p.m.” ~ The main report, by Ray Gard- ner, chairman, will be given in the afternoon. Election of a new B.C. Peace Council executive it is reasonable to expect that will also be held. PACIFIC TRIBUNE — DECEMBER 23, 1955 — PAGE 7 Branch into alleged funneling “The daily press across the country, by playing up charges _ cussed at an all-day session of -