Page 2

THE WILLIAMS LAKE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, May 27, 1959

EDITORIAL PAGE

WAS THE COST THE BIG FACTOR?

Ranchers of the Chilcotin appear to be making
one all-out effort to get their promised new Fraser
bridge outlet in the location they want.

Whether they will succeed or not will be problem-
atical, since government departments are notoriously
difficult to reason with, but at least they may succeed
in letting in some much needed light on the whole
problem.

There is a growing feeling that the engineering
difficulties posed in regard to the Meldrum Creek site
were magnified to overshadow the financial reason of
cost,

Certainly this suspicion was far from allayed by
the talk given to the cattlemen last week by MLA Bill
Speare. Perhaps Mr. Speare was only dealing in ab-
stract theory, but when he kept emphasizing the pos-
sibility that cost might have been more of a factor
in the abandonment of the Meldrum Creek site than
was appearing on the surface, his listeners could have
been pardoned for wondering if the MLA had more
information on the subject than he would, or could
make public,

As the matter now stands, the residents of the
Chileotin, or any firm working out of that country,
whether engaged in the cattle industry or lumbering,
are gaining a new bridge, but that is all. It will still
be at the bottom of the Fraser Canyon no matter what
approach improvements are made. The Meldrum Creek
site would eliminate the Borland Mountain haul and
the steep grade of Sheep Creek hill.

Perhaps, as the department maintains, the Mel-
drum Creek site is not feasible from an engineering
standpoint alone, but theré has been enough doubt
expressed to warrant a request for some plain facts
from Victoria.

SLANTED PHOTOGRAPHY AGAIN

It appears that Williams Lake was not alone in
getting the “treatment”? from CBC television pro-
ducers. Latest protest emanates from the city of Prince
Rupert following a film produced on life in that north
coast centre.

This protest closely parallels the one that arose
om these parts when Williams Lake was subjected
the “‘ slanted ” photography of the CBC. Seems the
eravnen again went out of their way to show the
side of urban living in thi8 provilce of ours.
Despite CBC provincial boss' Eric Cable’s protests
that the film portrayed facts and social problems, with
no intent to show the city in an unfavorable light,
fact remains that viewers have a tendengy to assume
these “social problems” are a clear reflection of life
in general in the.particular locality concerned.

But at least Prince Rupert will receive some com-
pensating publicity. When the subject was aired in
the House of Commons, the rather weak explanation
was offset by a statement that the CBC plans on pro-
ducing a “ broader” type of picture on the city.

Williams Lake received no such promise. Our
member of parliament said the matter was being in-
vestigated and there the matter has been allowed to
languish, as far as anyone here can determine.

In the light of the promise to Prince Rupert, per-
haps Mr. Fulton would like to find out what happened
to the investigation, An apology, in the way of an
honest documentary film, is overdue for Williams Lake.

MAKE ENSIGN OFFICIAL

—Kelowna Courier

The forthcoming visit of Canada’s Queen, Bliza-
beth II, and Prince Philip, provides an opportune
time for the Canadian government to give official ap-
proval of the Red Ensign as this country’s national
flag. .

The royal visit makes the time opportune because
the government has ordered that during the visit, the
Red Ensign will take precedence over the Union Jack
on all occasions.

In other words, at a time when the Union Jack
might be expected to take precedence because of his-
tory and the lack of an official Canadian flag, it is
taking a secondary position to the Red Ensign, officially
only a “distinctive Canadian flag,’ on the occasion
of the visit of the Queen to Canada.

The government is to be commended for its de-
cision, but it should go a step further and declare, the
Red Ensign the flag of Canada.

The embarrassment and confusion of the two flags
could be averted if the Red Ensign were given official

status by parliament during the present session, which
is scheduled to prorogue before the royal visit.

THE WILLIAMS LAKE TRIBUNE

Established 1931 Editor, Clive Stangoe

Coust™

Published every Wednesday at Williams Lake,
by the Cariboo Press Ltd.

B.C.

Subscription per year, $3.00. Outside Canada, $4.00
Advertising rates on application

Authorized as Second Class Mail by the Post Office.

This is a view of Mackenzie Avenue
in the 20’s taken from a little north
where Borland

of the junction of

AS IT USED TO LOOK

Street is today.

The fir tree in the
centre stands just beyond Oliver
Street intersection.

The Editor,
The Williams Lake Tribune

Dear Sir—As a resident of
this town for one year, I won-
der if the word “ baseball”
means anything to the residents
of Williams Lake. I mean
senior baseball. It seems a
shame for a town our size, who
prides itself so much by sup-
Porting every other known
sport, not to have a team repre-
sented in the league with sur-
rounding towns.

I'm sure there’s enough local
talent to do our town proud in
baseball and would like to bear
some views from fellow resi-
dents.

A practice and meeting is
called for Thursday, May 28,
at the Stampede ball diamond
at 7:30.

ROY JOSEPHSON.
Williams Lake.

SYINKS VANCOYVER
RIGHT PLACE FOR
CATTLE MARKET

Dear Sir—I think the far-
mers of your locality will be
interested in the change in the
market picture in Vancouver.

As you know, there have

been cattle auctions every
Monday at the Vancouver
Stockyards. Sales at this

stockyard have established the
market on cattle in B.C., and
have even affected the Calgary
market. Here was a place
where farmers and ranchers
could bring their cattle and be
assured of a fair market value.
At the end of May this stock-
yard closes,

In order to carry this public
marketing system on, I have
rented Gainer’s stockyards at
the foot of Fraser Street and
will continue auctions every
Monday and more often when
business warrants it. I will
endeavour to build this cattle
market up and will not be sat-
isfied until it is the finest mar-
ket in Canada.

Vancouver eats more beef
than any other ‘city in-Canada,
a greater percentage of high
grading beef than any city in
Canada, and has a ready mar-
ket for every class of cattle.
Vancouver also imports more
beef than any Canadian city.
What better place for a central
market or to market cattle?

For killing cattle, I can as-
sure the rancher that he will
get more money at this auction
than at any other market. I
think, then, that the farmer
will be interested to hear of
this new market and follow
development of it from time
to time. I will send you mar-
ket reports regularly.

The name of the new firm
is Art McClary — Livestock
Commission Merchant.

ART McCLARY.
26 W. 57th Avenue,
Vancouver 14, B.C.

LAUREL (MISSISSIPPI)
LEADER-CALL (Ind.) says:

Someone has suggested that
every person who is on the
public payroll should wear a
uniform, and that would dis-
close the condition we are in,
with a large percent of our
population employees of gov-
ernment. These people who
work for the government do a
job. What is the job? They
render a “service.” Unless
and until we are willing to call
a halt to some of the “ser-
vices" we have become accus-
tomed to, we'll never have less
taxes to pay.

SA

¢

— LOOKS AT —

RALKER
CARRELL

FORUM

The strange predictions of
the beef growers

By A. J. Drinkell

Two years ago, the B.C. Beef Growers Associa-
tion circulated a pamphlet just as the grass-fed
cattle were coming on the market.

All cattlemen are
familiar with its con-
tents and know that
but for the presence
of a few American
buyers the resultant
market collapse
would have been im-
measurably worse.
After the ranchers
had disposed of their
beef and started cat-
ering to the fepder market, it
was" discovered’ the Canadian
héusewife preferred leaner cuts
of meat. The Packer ‘Council
admitted one of the main
causes of the wide spread be-
tween prices on the hoof and
those in the butcher shops was
the fact the butcher had to de-
tat the carcasses. A new grade
of beef was then introduced—
Brown Brand—for which the
grass-fed animals were well
suited. By this time few ranch-
ers had any to offer.

It was an irate Abe Koper
who barged into our last hold-
forth as though he had just
been harpooned by a heelfly.
He had just read a news item
in which the BCBG Asso
tion warned its members to ex-
pect lower prices and advising
them to unload their yearlings
and calves thus preparing to
cater solely to the calf market,
we presume. Abe was armed
with a sheaf of Farm Journals,
both Canadian and American,
all of which carrier market
forecasts by leading authorities
in that field. Excerpts from an
interview given the Canadian
Grain Journal will serve to

convey the general tenor of
these forecasts.
OTHER STORY

When asked, “ What about

the future for Canadian cattle-
men,” Ralph K. Bennett, chief
of merchandising section, live-
stock division, Canada Depart-
ment of Agriculture, replied,
“Definitely good.” He further
stated, “ Canadian cattle prices
are tied closely to prices in
the U.S.A. and in that country
they are expected to remain as
high this year as in 1958.

“Cattle prices seem reason-
ably secure from any severe
drop for at least two years.
An upsurge in demand for
Canadian feeders began after
the severe drought in the south
western United States in the
spring of 1957. The ranchers
in that area have been buying
cattle to restock.”

This phase may now be over,
says Mr. Bennet, but supplies
of corn are very high in the
U.S.A. so there is certain to be
a good demand for feeders
again this year.

Moreover, the rapid increase
in human population on the
North American continent
should provide a ready market
for vast quantities of beef!

Time was when the buyers
met the rancher at the shipping
point with a sheaf of phoney
telegrams purporting to tell of
declines in the market that
very day. Having worn the
old gag completely thread-

bare, it was sent
into limbo but ap-
parently the BCBG
Association are de-
termined the buyers
shal continue to ex-
ploit its members so
takes upon itself to

supply with with
more modern ammu-
nition. If the asso-
ciation, says Abe

Roper, feels it ig advisable to
abaifdon its wn’ inauturated
policy of catering to the feeder
market and go in entirely for
calves, surely that could be ac-
‘complished without inviting the
buyers to hasten the transi-
tion by reducing
feeders.
care our parent association has
to offer, says Abe, then we had
better give serious considera-
tion to finding ourselves a
better foster-parent.

on

i 4 | fx
% BOE

. THE MACDUFF OTTAWA REPORT

The great Canadian witch hunt

Parliament is off and run-
ning in the all-new, 1959 yer-
sion of the great Canadian
witch hunt. Last year it was
the prdbe-of the government
printing bureau and its short-
comings, both imagined ana
real. This year the CBC,
Canada’s national and publicly-
owned broadcasting system, is
getting the treatment from the
politicians. The committee in-
quiry promises to be rough.

Hearings in the printing
bureau affair last summer got
so rowdy that the Government
had to let it be known that
McCarthy-style tactics weren’t
wanted in Canada’s parliamen-
tary affairs. But the warning
came too late to halt the ex-
plosive charges and counter-
charges in the committee on
public accounts.

Stripped to its essentials,
that investigation was an argu:
ment between suspicious Con-
servative probers and white-
washing Liberal defenders of
the $16,000,000-plus contract
for the government's printing
headquarters.

This time the witch hunters
have a double purpose: To find
out how more than $60,000,000
a year in public funds is being
spent on the CBO’s brand of
culture, and to.exploit the con-
viction of many Conservatives
that the government's point of
view isn’t getting a fair share
of the public air.

PUSHING SOCLALISM.

The feeling goes even
deeper. Some MP's, notably
from the province of Quebec,
Jean to the belief that the
national radio and television
system is deliberately forcing a
socialist point of view dowa the
throats of its audience.

The CBC's anguished denials
aren't likely to help. These
parliamentarians have come to
the hearings with their minds
made up in advance that the
Crown corporation is black,
evil and “ leftist.”

The danger is that these ex-
treme views will obscure the
corporation’s more obvious, if
simpler, sin: That it’s too free
with the public’s money.

Efficiency and economy are
ie that get‘little @iore than
passing attention from CBC
officials. Perhaps because it
has never stood up against the
claims of the unions that rep-
resent more than seven out of
10 of its employees, the cor-
poration never seems to use the
services of one man when it
can set up a new department.

And yet this legitimate com-
plaint against a free-spending
public enterprise threatens to

By Clive Stangoe

THERE IS ONE young fellow in town who will
probably obey any warnings directed his way for
some time to come, following his brush with Ter-
rible Ted last Thursday night.

Ted is the trained
bear you'll read of
in other parts of
this issue, and prior
to his appearance in

the hall at the
wrestling program,
the audience was

warned to keep their
seats while the ani-

mal was ambling
out, and of course to keep
well back.

But boys will be boys, and
the young lad in question just
had to get as close to Ted
as he could—in fact he
reached out to pet him. Now
to Ted, an outstretched hand
is an invitation to wrestle,
and before the boy knew it,
he was sitting rather violently
on the floor.

Incidentally, the card netted
the sponsoring Kiwanis Club
$259 for the playground pro-
ject, which is a very hand-
some return for any service
club effort.

*~ * *

GLAD TO NOTE that Wil-
liams Lake boasts its own
mono-rail—at least that new
travelling clothes rack that
Tony Kallaur has installed in
his dry cleaning establishment

looks like a reasonable sub-
stitute.
*~ *~ *
OF COURSE, not all auto-

matic gadgets are an improve-
ment. I can remember when
the twelve o'clock siren meant
just that, You could set your
watch by the wail when we
depended on the human ele-

ment. Came the
day when the village
had to invest in an
automatic set-up and
ever since the siren
has been sounding
off around ten after
twelve. ‘Monday it
got tired of routine
and the noon signal
was closer to 1 p.m.
Progress.

me
Ah!
a

AND maybe it's progress—
or prosperity—that's respons-
ible, but even the kids seem to
have graduated from the
simple pursuits of memory.
You never see a scooter on the
sidewalk, or a youngster idly
trundling along a wagon
wheel with a piece of lath, in
fact wagons seem to be on tha
Way out too. It’s unusual if
you see a gang on either side
of a building playing anty-
anty-I-over (however you
spell it—that’s what the chant
sounded like). And right
after marble season, when the
sap started to run in the wil-
lows, everyone had a whistle.
The marbles are still with us,
but you often Tun into ycung-
sters who haven't a clue about
the art of whistle-making. And
Dad usually helped you with
this one, but when spring
winds were gusty you just had
to have a kite.

It didn’t seem to take much
to keep the youngsters happy
and interested in those days—-
but then the same probably
applied to their parents.

be Overlooked in the {furious
search into the political back-
grounds of commentators who
dare criticize the government of
the day on the public air-
waves.

FAVORS FOR FRIENDS

Theres’ another complaint
that the CBC operates accord-
ing to the “Old Pals Act "—
a suggestion given voice by
Halifax Conservative Robert
McCleaye—and distributes fav-
ors from the public purse
among a select circle of its
friends.

This charge is difficult to
Prove or disprove. There is
no question that certain faces
and voices turn up with monot-
Onous regularity on both the
radio and TV networks.

The CBC, naturally, rejects
the claim. It explains the fav-
cred commentators and per-
formers are chosen because
they are good broadcasters, not
because of their political lean-
ings or their friendship with
the producers who hire them.

It will take some fancy foot-
work ,however, for the corpor-
ation to explain some of its
more controversial actions to
the satisfaction of the sensa-
tion-hungry MP’s. The French
network presentation early in
May on the early life of
Mother d’Youville, founder of
the Grey Nuns, is a good ex-
ample. It shocked a lot of
people in Quebec, and has been
publicly attacked by Hon. Paul
Dozois, Quebec's minister of
municipal affairs, as the work
of “‘ leftist elements.”

In the topsy-turvy political
life of Quebec, “leftist” "often
Means anything that doesn’t
follow the narrow doctrine of
Union Nationale Premier
Maurice Duplessis. And Mr.
Duplessis has a lot of followers
among Conservative MP’s in
Ottawa.

Also, there have been a number
of examples on the English net-
works that indicate that CBC
programming has been getting
out of hand, if only straying
beyond the bounds of good
taste,

SOME WOE RIZE:

Some oflithis radical pro-
gramming has won the corpora-
tion prizes in international
competition, notably in the
U.S. But it doesn’t impress all
the MP’s, who represent the
‘people who pay the bills.

If the parliamentarians con-
fine themselves to legitimate
fields of criticism, they will
have lots to keep them busy.
They may also perform a useful
‘service by forcing the CBC to
pay more attention to costs and*
thus save the taxpayers sub-
stantial sums of money. How-
ever, there is real danger that
the criticism will go far off the
rails—as it did in the printing
bureau inquiry last year—and
end up with a lot of senseless
name-calling that doesn’t save
any dollars at all.

Forecast budget
deficit
elimination

Most of the federal govern-
ment’s budgetary deficit may
well have been eliminated by
this time next year, according
to the Bank of Montreal’s
Business Review. ;

This now seems possible be-
cause revenues are likely to
mount steadily as the year
Progresses, reflecting not only
the full effectiveness of the tax
increases announced in the
April 7 budget but also the ex-
pectation that the rate of Can-
adian business activtiy will
continue to rise. during the
year, the bank believes.

“While not commenting
specificatlly on the trend of
revenues during the year, the
minister implied by his econ-
omic forecast that they will
tise steadily and ‘perhaps sub-
stantially. If it is to average
his estimated $34.5 billion in
1959 as a whole, national pro-
duction would increase from
the first-quarter annual rate of
$33.5 billion that he suggested
to a rate of $35.5 billion in
the last quarter, and by the

closing months of the current »

fiscal year in early 1960 could
be running well over $36 bil-
lion,” the review says.

“In such circumstances, and
assuming no significant change
in expenditures, revenues
could conceivably be flowing
at a rate sufficient to close
most of the budgetary gap by
the time the government enters
a new fiscal period a year
from now.”

The committee's first respon-
sibility should be to encourage
the CBC to employ efficiency,
economy and restraint in its
broadcasting policy.

Witch hunts the people of ~

Canada can do without.

CAPITAL HILL CAPSULES
If the pollsters’ findings can
be believed, the Conservative
Party faces trouble in forth-
coming elections in Ontario, Al-
berta and probably Prince Ed-
ward Island . . . the Gownward
trend in Tory popularity, how-
ever, isn’t pronounced enough
to indicate any upset of the
solidly-entrenched Ontario gov-
ernment ... Ottawa betting is
that Premier Leslie Frost will
return to power June 11 with
a slightly reduced majority.

Oil industry spokesmen do
not know whether to laugh or
ery over the long-awaited
national energy board legisla-
tion, now before Parliament.
They are pleased that the gov-
ernment decided to ignore
severe limitations on oil and
gas pipeline profits recommen-
ded by the Borden Royal Com-
mission, but they say the
energy Dill is so loosely
worded that a tough-minded
board chairman could shackle
future pipeline development...
it all hangs on what the new
agency considers a “fair and
reasonable” return on invest-
ment.

ONE YEAR AGO
May 28, 1958
Requiem Mass was held last
Saturday for 12 Indian child-

ren who died last Thursday
afternoon in the tragic fire that
destroyed the Anahim Reserve
nursing home at Alexis Creek
- +. Forest fires raging in the
west Chilcqtin, 7,000 acres of
forest burni#g as condition
worsens . . .;Jo Flieger, one-
time contest¢nt in early. stam- +
pedes and particularly noted
for his runs in the famous
mountain race, will be up from.
his Arizona ranch this year to
open the Centennial show . . .
Big Centennial date this week-
end is at Soda Creek, when the
18 adventurers following Simon
Fraser's route taken 150 years
ago will land at that former
centre of the river trade...
Centurama, top touring show
of the year opens here June 5
+ +. There is little likelihood
that property owners in the
Central Cariboo will be called
on to approve the formation of
a hospital improvement district
until August.
FIVE YEARS AGO
May 27, 195t

Findings of tne Air Trans-
port Board in relation to an
inquiry itito the action of Can-
adian Pacific Airlines in con-
tinuing the three times weekly
service here, indicate that the
former body is in agreement
with the carrier’s submission
that there is not enough air
traffic to warrant a daily ser-
vice . . . For the first time
since they have been competing
in the big invitational softball
tournament at Lac La Hache,
100 Mile House players copped
top money in the May 24 show
to win the Dingwall trophy and
$200 first prize money .
Tenders for new building eon-
struction in School Distriet 27
were opened May 1§, but no
details of the offers or their
reception -have been released
by the board . . .-Rottacker’s
Monarchs got their first win of
the league season last night
when they knocked off Abbott’s
Maple Leafs 15-12 in a strictly
batters’ slugfest . . . Reduction
of the number of moose in cer-
tain parts of Cariboo and Chil-
cotin will be necessary, accord-
ing to James Hatter, biologist
for the game commission, if
the big animals are to be pre-
vented from eating themselves
out of house and home.

TWENTY YEARS AGO
" May 25, 1989

Again the Lac La Hache
Community Club ordered per-
fect weather for their annual
stampeds and dance and con-
ducted the program without a
flaw or accident to a nearly
record crowd from Interior
points . The board of Wil-
liams Lake War Memorial Hos-
pital have requisitioned an
iron lung through the Provin-
cial and Dominion governments
who in turn have placed the
request with Lord Nuffield of
England Butter selling
three pounds for 82 2ents.

+