sia 6 WHITE ROCK SUN. THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 1959 ~ WHITE ROCK SUN (Formerly The Semiahmoo Sun) Printed by White Rock Printers & Publishers Ltd. Office located at 14899 Washington Avenue - Phone WI. 8-9701 Westor J. Izowsky, Publisher - Vincent E, Coyne, Editor H. Scott Kennedy, Production Manager MEMBER BC. Division of Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association, B.C. Weekly Newspapers Advertising Bureau, Vancouver Office: 508 Hornby Street, Vancouver, B.C It’s Not A Gift It must be made clear that anyone buying a White Rock Players Club debenture is not making a donation towards purch- asing Kingdom Hall as a new Little Theatre. Their money will be redeemable after three years. The $50 debentures are non- interest bearing, but will be secured by the real estate, as was Pointed out last week. There has been considerable confusion since the debenture drive opened as to the status of the holders once th $50 deben- ture has been posted. Remember, anyone purchasing a deben ture is protected by the building and property and will be en- titled to any privileges the Club decides to offer. The Players Club added another triumph to its long list of laurels Saturday with its victories in the Regional Drama Finals. This is further proof that the group deserve a theatre worthy of its performances. A thermometer recording the progress of the. Club's fund- raising campaign will appear each week on the front page of this newspaper. Let us all do our part in making sure that the “mercury hits the top.” We must not be content in merely hoping the fund reaches its objective. We must guarantee it does reach its objective. Keep Porch Light On White Rock and district's marching mothers, under sponsor- ship of this city’s Kinsmen Club, will be asking for your help on irday, Jan, 31 in their drive for child care and rehabilita- tion and their fight against polio. Give generously.’ Despite the anti-polio vaccine, this crippling disease can still strike in this community. Funds will always be needed-for child care and rehabilitation. Encourage the canvassers by leaving a light on in your home. By supporting this drive you may be helping a neighbor's child, and perhaps someday, your own child. Over a million dollars has been spent by the B.C. Founda tion for Child Care, Poliomyelities and Rehabilitation to reduce the crippling effects of polio and more recently to help those who are disabled by other diseases or conditions. Albert Facer, Provincial Campaign Chairman for the Kins-| Letters to the Editor City Assessor's offite Study Editorial Editor, White Rock Sun, Dear Sir, Re editorial “We Want the Facts.” We hope your very timely editorial of 15th inst. will be assiduously studies by your wide circle of readers, togeth- er with the well written letters of several correspondents. The letter “Protect dur Beaches” by Mr. J. Hynds and the Teen commandments by Mr. M. Mc- Nie, being especially worthy of notice. May I pay tribute too to your various news reporters? Par- ticularly to Mrs. Ray Stewart, who though a busy mother of six young children, yet finds time to type out prolific re- ports of local news for your fine journal as welt as for other weekly papers including two dailies, thereby rendering very acceptable service to the journals above mentioned Wishing you all the success you so well merit. Yours truly, Wilfred Attwell Against Bay Site Editor, White Rock Sun. Dear Sir, Re the suggestion by industry | of turning the Boundary Bay | area into industrial concerns. | is the Federal Government who owns the foreshores and not every little dollarmad Tom, Dick or Harry, so hands off and this applies to White Rock roo. is overloaded with concerns, We have Gren, the Grosvenor bunch, and| industrial Ject Are we. be°gutter rats? of Van. is a teeming slum and slums harbour criminals. Miss A. Head. the people to Against Slide Survey men sponsored Mothers’ March, states that {20,000 Marching|Editor, White Rock Sun Mothers each year have made possible this tremendous program | Dear Sir, (directly affecting the lives of thousands of polio victims in this province and indirectly the whole economy of the province. In the past year alone, over 500 victims of polio or other dis- abilities have been provided with financial assstance to obiain treatment necessary to offset or overcome their handicaps.” The Kinsmen sponsored Mothers’ March, which for the past 43 years has provided the funds for work with polio cases, is mow directed toward a broad program of rehabilitation with initial emphasis on children. In 1958, $250,000 has been spent im providing services in research and preyentio, case finding, ‘¢ducation and treatment. Over 2,000 Kinsmen backed by other groups throughout fi rovince and 20,000 Marching Mothers will again call at te, of BC. on January 31, asking for $275,000. They just reach their quota. Car Increase Passenger cars operating in Canada nearly ‘doubled in the @ years (191.7%) from 1945, reports B.C. Automobile Associa- ion. Commercial vehicles have increased 222% during the Same period. These are some of the interesting facts revealed in “The Motor Vehicle,” an annual publication of the Dominion Bureau 0f Statistics. The study indicates the phenomenal. increase of motor vehicles o the road, in revenues from the increased traffic, and in expenditures on Canadian roads and streets. Motor vehicle registratios rose 5.5% during 1957 over tHe ipe year. This is a somewhat slower rate of increase than ee established during the post-war years. \ At the end off 1957 there was an average of one motor jicle for every 3.7 Canadians, Saskatchewan and Alberta the largest number of yehicles in relation to population, With one vehicle for each 2.9 persons in the province. Ontario cOtinues to lead in passenger car population with one automobile for every 3.9 persons, | The average cost in taxes and licenses to Canadian auto- operators Was $108 in 1957, an inerease from the ap- imate cost af $100 in 1956, “The average cost of these iterns by provinces in 1957 wan: foundiand $117, Prince Edward Island $117, Nova Scotia . New Brunswick $128, Quebec $135; Ontario $109, Mani- $82, Sarkatchewan $86, Alberta $91, British Columbia Yukon and NW Territories $65. Canadian average $108, : Boundary Bay Industry? Boundary affair is quite a fuss 6 up tl ral. Spar, will it mean to us, f Hd ts with ayerage good weather ta than Roundary Bay and Creseent together. : silution, ‘would be calamity I was not much réjoiced when I read that the council was-in- tending to spend. $2,000 as a fee to engineers to survey the pos- sibility of hill slides or the reason why cracks developed in the pavement on Washington Secondly, I would say that B.C.|&T houses. now the new Van. paper pro-| many The better part| sticks? thing no one, not even Victoria wouid undertake. So what? It vont fall out of sight. The cracks can be filled with bitum- ous and sand. If we have a couple of thous. ands to get rid of how about qavelling and blacktopping the parking space around the Great Northern Depot. It wouid tive the citizens of White Rock a source of pride instead of shame. It's a diabolfe abomina- tion to have such a bog in the midst of a town when there is so much talk about catering to the tourist trade, one look at that, and it would drive me out of the city if 1 was not an- chored here, The Great North- ern may even donate a bit to the venture and perhaps paint their buildings too at that. And f we ran short of green backs providing they were spent care- fully such firms as Surrey Pay- ing may even loan their equip- men free to do the paving. Well enough said, a word to the wise is sufficient In our atomic age we seem to rely too much on experts |who do nothing to alleviate the tax burden and dont even show any horse sense, but guzzle the |public oats with avidity. Yours truly, F. R. M. Tanche First I would point out that it|ditor, White Rock Sun ear Sir, In the past few weeks the citizens of White Rock have re- ceived their assessment notic What a shock to those with old- Many of them are up and how, 100%, 200% and Wenner-| Ve" more. Is there a conspiracy among municipalities to force low income groups out into the Taxes are threatening confiscation of Pensioners homes, Have the various coun- cils and the Provincial Govern- ment forgotten that the often Praised pioneers who carved this country out of the wilder- hess, are the pensioners of to- day? ~ that they laid the foun- dations for our present prosper- ity? We have plenty of evidence that a youth from the city hall 15 telling pensioners who have appealed the assessment on their homes that they should go away out Are our city fathers like the ave. in the viclity of Vidal/farmer who hasan old horse, Street. that has worked all-its life for | A rational approach to the} him |subject is that if anyone has built on these hilts nothing can be done about it anyway and would not want to moye even if their house toppied over, no} doubt they could insure house against such calamity since some women can insure their legs. Those things are e 0) the council's preocupation’ in a country of free enterprise. As far as cracks in the pave |ment, it just shows that that portion of the road rests on or- ganic soil with a high content of moisture which wont sup port a road regardless of how many surveys e made. The only way to deal with that would be to drive piling until you reach a base and reinforce the top with steel bars, some- ardson, a representative of the Lower Mainand Regional Plan: ning Board, painted a gloomy picture of Surrey Subdivision for the 70 people who attend: ed the meeting of the Surre Council of Ratepayers at th Sunnyside community hall Jan- uary 13. He felt that more subdividing had already been done in this municipality than could be made use of in the next 10 to 15 years. Me said that if this land boom should break that taxes moy hot be kept up on the subdivided Jand and the mute leipality would have to take the land over, resulting in bankrupey for the municipality. Reove Bob Nesbitt addressed the meeting and said that Sur- rey Municipality was concern ed about of the pro- i vin this area. wore i as Mi Coote th nd when it's past work takes it back to the wilds where cold and hunger will take care of it We oldsters who worked 12 to 16 hours a day six days a week and now have to exist on very inadequate pensions are being forced to pay taxes on a parity with the younger peo- ple who work a 40 hour week for pay that would have been several month's uneration to us, and with fringe benefits we never dreamed of. Apparently if one has not |got a fairly large income he should crawl away (out of the jeity of course) and die. | Senior Citizens Assn., No, 38, White Rock, Vv. W. Plant, Pres, Ratepayers Council hear gloomy subdiv. report SUNNYSIDE - Nigel H. Rich-jyears a8 it was expected that the Trans Canada Highway would be completed before the July 1 deadline of 1960. Work may be done there first as it Was felt that King George Highway would take care of the existing traffic in the meantime, Surrey Council of fatepay jera’ secretary, Mr. D. A, Arm strong, was asked to yyrite Dr W. 1. dretand, Provincial Areh ivist, regarding the cairn to mark the Semiahmoo it by the Nicomekl River — to Memorate the Old Indian i fo Vancouver, Washingto: i also the old river route to Fort Langley, A committee in this area is | boing set up to get information jubout the history of this local. * Counelilots Kuhn, J. Ard: jel and Walter Johnson spoke briefly, Refreshments were served at elose of the meeilng toil 8 ru sof us i F the next 2 or fisoatths ttle pracenind oa Editor, White Rock Sun, Dear Sir, When a number of local friends have complained to me about the tremendous increase in their taxes I have asked why they do not file a complaint, on- ly to hear the reply “what is the use, the Assessor will get us some other way.” The fol lowing is my recent experience in detail after protesting a 70% increase and land value and 10% on improvements, this af- ter paying $30.00 more on my taxes last year, The day ‘after I notified the Assessor that I intended ap- pealii young lad called, an- nounein at he was the As- sistant Assessor to J. A, Neill, and, after discussion the whole situation at length, I said that three different Assessors ‘had gone over my property thor- oughly in the last six years and there had heen no added jm- provements, therefore, I failed to see a reason for any increase other than 5%. 1 mention this later point because I went to see Mr. Neill last year on ac: count of the $30 increase on my taxes, and he at that time informed me that taxes had been boosted 6% for 1958 and that a further 5% would be added for 1959 in order to| bring White Rock taxes in al:| ignment with other districts When mentioning this to the lad he said that that statement should not haye been made, and that it was a mistake. Who are we to believe? He then said that seeing I still wanted to appeal, he wished to re- as my property, so began to }measure thoroughly the house from outside (either he sus- pected that the prior Assessors’ | tapes were incorrect, or that the house had grown!), and con- tinued on the inside, eyen to measuring a small cellar: where fruit, etc, is stored, built in- side the basement. At that} point I asked him why he did not measure the walls and par- tifions in the house! Anyone having the slightest knowledge construction would know hy thé house measurements and pitch of roof whether. an attic was livable. I explained that this attic was an unfinished one and never used, but tn- deterred, he went up and. meus- ured between rafter supports both ways There is an old barn on my Property, which many citizens have seen when yearly the gar- den is opened for two days to comes under fire fault, thereby implying that he was the only bright boy! Such is youth, and I may interject right now that an assessor® ought to mature in years, and have real experience in iC tical construction as well ag in| the values of same. But why” should White Rock require two assessors when we are all aware of much bigger districts which, in the past, had only one as- sessor. Surrey, for example, had Mr. F. L. Smith to do all the assessing for the municipal- ity, which at that time included White Rock, Now, as to this Board of Re- vision, I understand that R. N. Nesbitt, Surrey Reéye, John Hunter, Magistrate, along with one other, are on this Board, two of them deriving their liv- ing from municipalities, and perhaps elected by the Assessor himself; who knows? On the face of it the dice are already loaded against the taxpayer, I do not imply that they would consciously favor the Assessor's judgment, but I do say that they will be biased unconsciously. 1 suggest that the Ratepayers As- sociation elect three men, each with a representative of a maj-« ority group, say, an old-age pensioner (preferably a car- penter) having to Tive in an in- come of not more than $150 per month, the second to have an income of between $160 and $200 monthly, and a third with an income ‘of between $300 and $450 per month, all residents of White Rock, and excluding any- one deriving remuneration from City or Municipality. As to the 70% increase in my land valuation, I hope to be giy- en the opportunity to discuss this issue fully when I appear before the Board of Revision Thank you, Sir, for allowing me so much of your valuable space in order to bring to the attention of the White Rock taxpayers the inefficiency of the over-staffed Assessor's Office, and to encourage others to re- sist this iniquitous taxation. Yours respectfully, W. M. Stephen E Army and Navy auxiliary installed Comrade Elsie Hamilton of Unit No. 100, Kingsway, for- merly of the Dominion Com- mand, was installing officer at the annual installation cere moy of the Ladies’ Auxiliary to the Army, Navy and Airforce the public. Built mainly of} shakes, with a dirt floor, I have threatened to burn it from time to time, but have been prevent- ed from so doing for fear of damaging trees nearby, This finally was assessed for $20 in 1956, but it really has no v However, our young a got out his tape and me: it from every angle yone se would take one look at this k and wonder if it wa: worth the assessment. | Thence he measured an ald 8' x} 12’ chicken house left by a} Prior owner before chicken | keeping was restricted in this} district, 1 told him that, if} it were to be assessed, he was | Welcome to have it, but the zealous fellow wen ahead, also looking inside. Next he went} to a slab of concrete on the| lawn, used so that cha do not dig into the grass. Yes, be- lieve it or not, that was care- fully measured too, He also} meastred panes of glass on the greenhouse as well as the greenhouse itself. Apparently Assessors do not trust done an- ol 8 measurements! After: wal ho sat in his car for about hald an hour Mguring out the Tot! A few days later he returned to take plotures of the house, When I told him that he could have assessed half of Bishop Road in the time he had al-| feady spent on my property, I remarked that this looked y much Tike Intimidation for my Yogistering a protest, and that Mr. FL. Smith, the Senior As: sessor for Surrey up to seces- sion, had assured me that these buildings had no value, until 1956 when another Assessor put a $20 yalue on the old barn 1 now leave it to the public to seo why people are afraid {o protest. When 1 stated that surely he was not doubting the ett oe re, napa one iy years’ r fence, who had been # building ie intimated dha ey ce a -|Knapton, treasurer, Veterans on January 13 at the Unit club rooms. Mrs. Minnie Mrs. Clarke is past Rosina Gay Mrs. Mrs. Jes Mrs. Anne Mrs. Eva Mrs. Betty Sergeant at Arms; Mrs, Jane Clarke, finance; Mrs. Anne Fisher, publicity; Mrs Rose Drope, standard bearer: Mrs. Anne Whitehouse, men bership; Mrs. Minnie Clarke, social and Mrs, Jessje Welch. sick chairman. Your Lasi president. lst Welch, 2nd vice; Fisher, secretary; Vernon, The insurance and the “PA cut in half, is means if you have a polic® coming up for re newal in the next year, it wif’ cost you from 25% to AU more, depending on 7oyrNa J tion, We Held the Line! If you act now, deforg’ Feb- ruary 1, we will give You 1958 reduced rates for another three years, There is no need to can col existing insurance to get this saving, Call our office now, ask for Arnie Jeffs or Ed, Hit and let us explain the her on saving your insurance Wolstencroft = AGENCIES s 383 Baa Rd ae