Nanaimo Daily News from Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada • 2

I Koncin-a Dsity Free Press, Wed, June 2, 1971 Islanders Lose Court Battle ICrux Traces History Commonwealth Over Exiles Palermo, siciiy ap a Sicilian court of appeals uphe'd Tuesday the exile of suspected Mafia leaders to to of Italy's liny islands despite the plea of advised by the then superintendent of brokers that this was a firm which his company could acquire. It was a mutual fund with a inhabitants that the gangsters VANCOUVER (CP) The development of the Commonwealth companies, from a small real estate company in 1948 to a diversified group including mutual funds, land development companies and a trust ould ruin tourist business. ish Columbia onef trust company and nh our other firms, now could handle just hbou: any investment problems that peop'e brought to us." HIT BY ILLNESS In the mid-1960s, he said, he had two serious illnesses and obtained the services of Dr. Most of the 200 residents abandoned the little Aeolian is portfolio of $1 million. "We made an offer to the estate and land of Fiiicudi during the to the shareholders and bought weekend in protest after 15 company in 1968.

was outlined! in court Tuesdav. I Mafia suspects were landed ther Their representatives and city Co-nelus Polvliet, a iormer Netherlands banker who held a doctorate in economics end law. officials of the main Aeolian island of Lipari, who resigned in protest, were to visit Rome today to lay their case before the gcvernment. The Mafia men shipped to Fii icudi were the second group Italy had sent into exile. Eighteen Mafia suspects had been shipped to the volcanic rock of Linosa between Sicily and 11 it." Commonwealth Savings Plan came along in the 1950s.

It was a firm which made its revenues in estate and financing and was involved in residential development of a 500-acre tract of land in Delta municipality, south of Vancouver. In the course of developing this project the firm discovered a grtvel pit on its property from which $1 million in gravel was taken. LIFE STYLE CHANGED In 1961, Crux testified, the financial way of life for many people seemed to change because of changes in communication and transportation. Thii brought national trust companies with branches in B.C. into competition with the financial firms which made up the Commonwealth group.

"We had just decided to get into the trust company field in British Columbia when we heard of a British Columbia Columbia trust company which had just been formed by a Vancouver lawyer for clients having changed their minds," he viid. He stated that his group, A. G. Duncan Crux, former president of CommonweaUh Trust Co. who faces charges of theft end obtaining funds under false pretences involving $715 462, said the group began with the takeover of CommonweaUh Realty Co.

in 1948. He told a British Columbia Supreme Court jury that he and two friends changed the name of the company to Commonwealth Investors Syndicate and went into the land development business. It was, he said, a successful company that paid dividends to its shareholders for every one of its 17 years and in that time returned them 100 per cent on their investment. In 1953, CIS entered the savings plan field, en enterprise which had equally good success, stated Crux. He testified that the shares rose in value from $1 to $5 and that an independent appraisal in 1964 showed, a total value at that time of $2,500,000.

IN GOOD SHAPE He said that in 1968, when the investigations were launched by the provincial government, "it was a success end all in to assist him in the work load. He told the court that Commonwealth Trust opened branch in Kelowna in 1963 and met with considerable success there. Cixx stated that the Commonwealth group found itself involved in a Bahamas operation in 1966 when there had been "big upheavals" in the Canadian and United States financial institutions. In the U.S., he said, restrictions had been placed on certain use of dollars for investment and as a result, two financial men who needed funds to support a mortgage on land in the Bahamas came to Commonwealth. Funds were advanced under a deal and later Commonwealth decided to get into the banking business in the Bahamas by means of a trust company there.

The firm was called CommonweaUh Trust (Bahamas) Ltd. and it in turn became involved in a large land development scheme on North Andros Island. The trial continues. (Free Prew SUff photo) OVERPASS APPROACHES BOLSTERED I paving shoulders at bridge approaches and installing concrete no-post guard rails angled so that vehicles striking them will have a chance of bouncing back onto the highway instead of plunging over steep embankments. Scene of several fatal accidents, Nanoose overpass north of Nanaimo is getting attention to its approaches where Island Highway traffic funnel onto the bridge spanning railway tracks.

In a $6,000 project, highways department crews are 25-CENT BEER IN PROSPECT? VANCOUVER (CP) Hotel-men called for an increase in the price of draught beer Tuesday, raising the possibility of a 25-cent glass of beer in the near future. L. W. Manuel, managing director of the British Columbia Hotels Association, said that the government price increases on wine, liquor and beer also means a jump to $38.70 up $2.70 in the price of a 100-gallon keg of draught beer. He said that with increased operating costs "it seems reasonable that an increase should be there to offset" the price rise.

Any increase in the cost of a glass of beer must be approved by the government. Mr. Manuel said labor costs had increased 60 per cent since 1967 and hotel operators' "margin of profit has diminished." The return on a barrel of beer is $100, he said, and an increase of five cents a glass would make it $125. good shape and was fully fin after obtaining approval from the provincial government, took anced by cash in the bank. ACROSS THE PROVINCE Diversified Incomes Secur it over.

ities another in the Com "It had never been in opera monwealth group, came into tion to this point and we raised Mrs. Atkinson, Here Since 1913, Dies the money for this through our beins in 1955, said Crux. This firm was mutual fund which was held largely by an friends and through our own resources. "We were then the only Brit estate Crux said that he was CUPE Opens Conference team A long-time Nanaimo district METEOR DISASTER resident, Mrs. John (Rose) Atkin son, of 610 Lambert Street, died Tuesday at the age of 85 years Born at Blythe, Northumber WOMEN'S FIRST CAN TAKE ALL KINDS OF WEATHER Lower Mainland.

East Vancou VANCOUVER (CP)-A regis KAMLOOPS (CP)-Two hundred delegates will attend the three-day annual provincial conference of the Canadian Union tered nurse, Mrs. V. J. Kerr land, England, she came to Canada in 1909, and for 49 years lived at South Wellington. She had made her home in Nanaimo for Portholes Too Small Engineer Tells Jury of Public Employees which op became the first woman to enrol in 3.C Safety Council's annual five day training program for supervisors across B.C.

with the past nine years. ver Island regions Small craft warning in effect for Georgia Strait. Thursday Mainly sunny. Low tonight 45. High Mrs.

Atkinson was a member of the Pioneer Society and the accident prevention responsibil Court Rejects Teamster Bid Old Age Pensioners. ities. Training director W. B. Webster says he hopes that mursday 68.

Yesterday's Temperatures Her husband died in 1960, and more women will enroll in the a son William in 1940. She is Max. Mm. Preclp. the ship's portholes and the design of her safety features a door that swung to wrong way and contributed to the death nf five crew members and a fire alarm system that failed once the fire started.

survived by a son, John Atkin U.S. Player Hears Sweep In Chess Play VANCOUVER CP) Grandmasters Bobby Fischer of the United States and Mark Taima-nov of the Soviet Union adjourned the sixth game Tuesday night in their quarter-final elimination match to select a challenger for the world chess championship. At adjournment on the 43rd move. Fischer was two pawns ahead and moving in for the kill. It appears that only the for-mali'y of Taimanov's resignation is needed today to give Fischer a 6-0 sweep of the best-of-10-game match.

Fischer, playing white against Taimanov's Sicilian defence, allowed the Russian to gain a strong pawn centre. "Taimanov, howver, was forced to cede Fischer control of the flanks. After a half-hearted attack on the kingside. easily rebuffed by Fischer, and another inconclusive foray on the queenside, Taimanov was forced to turn the initiative over to Fischer. The U.S.

player then attacked Taimanov's centre and had control of the board at adjournment. Winner of this match will meet Danish grandmaster Bent Larsen in a semi-final match of the challengers' playoff. Winner of the challenger series will meet world champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union for the title. future. NEW PARK CONSIDERED VANDERHOOF (CP) The son, Ladysmith; a daughter, Mrs.

VANCOUVER (CP)-A bid to quash two decisions (Nan) J. Parkin, Nanaimo; a of the British Columbia Media niece in England; four grand children and eight great-grand Mr. Clark said governments should insist that portholes be Nechako Valley Wildlife Conservation Association says Jean Chretien, federal minister for northern development, has pro large enough to allow an aver- Funeral will be held Friday at 3:15 p.m. in Westwood Chapel a -s man to escape mised to give rum fullest con of Flowers (Sands) with Rev sideration to an association Peter Newbery of Nanaimo South association proposal that a tion Commission was rejected in B.C. Supreme Court Tuesday by Mr.

Justice W. R. Mc-Intyre Defendants in the action were the mediation commission, La-farge Concrete Metro Concrete Ltd. and Ocean Cement Ltd. The union claimed the commission did not -treat the contending narfips pnnallv laer Combined United Church official national park ens Friday.

Wage guidelines and legislation which prohibits some public employees from having the right to strike are expected to generate most of the discussion," said a union spokesman. MAN FINED VANDERHOOF (CP) Douglas Harver, 20, was fined $480 and sentenced to one year definite and- 18 months indeterminate on charges of auto theft, dangerous driving, driving while impaired and without a licence during a police chase May 22. RESTAURATEUR FINED VANCOUVER (CP) Restaurant owner Luigi Migliuri, 38, was fined $1,250 when he appeared in provincial court Tuesday charged with evasion of income tax. He pleaded guilty to the charge that he failed to pay tax on $70,713 earned between September 1963 and May 1969. VICTIM NAMED CRANBROOK (CP) George Herbert Lewis, 42, of North Vancouver, has been identified as the man killed Monday in a be established in the Rocky ing.

Interment will be in the Thunder Bay 60 37 Winnipeg 75 45 Regina 75 45 Prince Albert 79 58 Swift Current 71 42 Medicine Hat 64 46 Calgary 66 37 Penticton 75 53 Castlegar 77 52 Prince Rupert 53 46 Prince George 73 52 Victoria 55 49 .01 Nanaimo 60 51 Revelstoke 74 53 .07 Fort Nelson .81 50 Whitehorse 62 35 Fort St. John 76 54 Mackenzie 77 40 St. John's 63 40 .54 Halifax 59 43 Montreal 68 48 Ottawa 70 47 Toronto 65 49 North Bay 67 48 Churchill 61 44 Mountain area of northern B.C. I family plot, Nanajmo cemetery. VANCOUVER (CP-) A smoldering cigarette may.

have been responsible for starting a fire that killed 32 crew members aboard the Norwegian cruise ship Meteor May 22, the ship's second engineer told a coroner's jury Tuesday. John Clark said he thought somebody had "probably left a cigarette on a side table in a cabin or on a bunk. "I feel it must have been a table' rather than a bunk because if it had been on a bunk it vould have smoldered and smoked for a long time and somebody would have noticed." He said the cigarette must have fallen off a table and set fire to a piece of paper or clothing. "The woodwork aboard the Meteor is varnished and if heated up it will form gases that will lie along the ceiling. If a flame hits it, (the gas) it will ignite, not only there, but anywhere there is gas." ACCOUNTS FOR SPEED This would account for the incredible speed with which the fire spread to the crew's quarters on the ship's lower decks, he said.

Evidence was also heard Tuesday criticizing the size of Bakery Firm Manager Clyde Nicholson Dies ity affairs, he was a member of tnrougn them. "Not near as many would have died if they could have gotten out of the portholes," he said. On Monday, deckhand Jose Gutierrez testified that he saw his brother Marco burn to death with his head and an arm stuck through a porthole. BLAMES DOOR Earlier Tuesday, the ship's bosun, Quinto Baiardi, blamed a door that swung the wrong way for the deaths of five crewmen. Mr.

Baiardi said he and other crew members couldn't enter the port side corridor into the crew's quarters on deck because of bodies jammed in a three-foot space between the swinging door and a solid water-tight door. The firefighters were only able to gain access to the corridor after Meteor Captain Morner kicked in the crash panel in the lower half of the door. ear before making two binding decisions in a strike against the cement companies. Union lawyer G. L.

Murrary argued that the commission gave the employers access to the commission library, but the union was compelled to obtain information from its own sources. Mr. Justice Mclntyre ruled there was no evidence to indicate the union was refused access to the commission library, and had in fact been notified that the facilities of the library were available. Brought to you by Rotary Club, and charter member of the Lions Club. Surviving besides his wife Audrey, are a son, Christopher, two daughters, Cindy and Pat; a brother, Thomas Nicholson, sing'e car accident 24 miles south of Cranbrook in south Nanaimo, and a sister, Miss McGavin Toastmaster manager in Nanaimo, Clyde Nicholson died suddenly Monday night at the age of 58.

His home was at 727 Millstone Avenue. Nanaimo-born, he had been in the bakery business since the age of 14. He was a member of Nanaimo Lodge No. 110 AF and AM, Keystone Chapter, Royal Arch No. 8, R.A.M., Bethlehem Preceptory, Gizeh Temple, Nanaimo Shrine Club, Oriental Band.

Keenly interested in commun Shirley Nicholson, Edmonton. WOMAN IDENTIFIED SURREY (CP)-RCMP identified a woman who was killed when B.C. Hydro diesel engine rammed her car at a level crossing Tuesday as Linda Ruth Matchette, 24, of Surrey. I in. i.

lb eastern British Columbia. Police said his car left the highway end overturned in a slough. DAM BUILDER LEAVES VANCOUVER (CP) The Funeral will be held Friday at 1 p.m. in Westwood Chapel of Flowers (Sands) with Rev. Denis Mahood of St.

Andrew's Presbyterian Church officiating. Interment will be in Nanaimo Northbrook Mall Telephone 758-9533 17 I II I la.ru lie aire Legislature Opposition cemetery. man in charge of building the Peace and Columbia River dams for B.C. Hydro leaves this week to supervise construction of the huge Tarbella irrigation and Newfoundland Boycotted By By THE CANADIAN PRESS power project in West Pakistan. PARKSVILLE STARTS THURSDAY "CARRY ON CAMPING" Shows 8 p.m.

Friday, 7 and 9 p.m. George Clark of favoring the Mine Firm Loses Bid J. P. (Pete) Ottesen, 61, of The opposition may not be government. In other legislatures Tuesday Piano, Guitar Students In Recital Native Sons and Daughters ana the Nanaimo Centennial Committee OLDTIME West Vancouver was responsible for the Bennett and Mica dams back in the Newfoundland legis Prime Minister Trudeau was criticized in Toronto for ''giving for seven years.

lature this session tnree are suspended and the others are boycotting the house. STARTS WEDNESDAY at 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. respectability" to communism on his recent Russian trip, and in Winnipeg the prospect of a renewal of a debate on public VICTORIA (CP) A mining company's application to discharge up to one million gallons of effluent a day into the Strait of Juan de Fuca near i i benches were II arura empty again Tuesday as the legislature considered labor leg Jordan River has been rejected by William Venables, British auto insurance was raised. PRESS GROUP ADJOURNS In Quebec, the national assembly's committee on press islation. Two Progressive Conserva Columbia's director of pollution control.

fives' and one independent Liberal are serving a three-day Streisand George At CENTENNI freedom adjourned after a brief PI 1191 I Mr Venables could not be reached for comment Tuesday, but bis office said letters announcing the decision had been If II A DAN Music students, the majority of whom are deeply involved in attaining the proficiency and polish that a well-prepared examination program demands, displayed their talents at the last of this season's student recitals sponsored by local branch, Registered Music Teachers. Piano and guitar soloists from Upper Island centres and Nanaimo presented a fine program ranging from early to more advanced grades. Students appearing were Conrad Margolis, Kevin Rudkins, Helen Baker, Debbie Shore, Lori Winkler, Kathy McPherrin, Barbara Dunnett. Carole Leeson, Beverley Jenkinson. Brooke mailed Monday to the company.

andtfio suspension for calling the Speaker partial. Other opposition members walked out and may not be back since the session ir. likely to end today or Thursday. Expelled for three days were John C. Crosbie St.

meeting attended by only seven of 15 members. The committee will interview witnesses and interested organizations later. In St. John's, the expulsions followed a punch at Mr. Marshall last Thursday by Premier Joseph Smallwood's son, Wil Dison Development end Panaviaion Color Pn ft I June JSL IU John's West).

William Marshall liam, after Mr. Marshall men tioned the premier wife while (PC St. John's EaSt) and H. R. (VaD Earle (PC Fortune) after they accused Speaker reading an article on slum Warning Much Swaarinf and Coaraa linguae R.

W. McDonald. B.C. Diraetor CAPITOL 753371 Fill Aaa Randa Traakla Brain Satardar Mattaaa, "Jaaaa aad Arfaaaata" 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.

Credit Union Hall FISH MARKET CAFE Thompson, Donna Lamothe, Cindy Leakey, Shelley Steeves, Sharon Olsen, Francie Watters, Susan Stewart. Sherry Mitchell. F3 MOVIE GUIDE other interested parties. The application had been opposed by Jordan River residents conservationists, commercial fishermen and others. The operation at stake was resurrection of the old Cowi-chan Copper Mine, which intermittently between 1962 end 1966 dumped mine tailings off a shoreline cliff, half a mile from 4he community of Jordan River.

Critics say wave and tidal action polluted nearby beaches. Charles Campbell general manager of Dison, said in Vancouver Tuesday he had received no word on the application. He declined any comment. Dison haj already spent about $500,000 in rehabilitating the mine. Mr.

Venables' decision can be appealed to the pollution control board. Helen Martin and David Martin. SMORGASBORD SUPPER FARMER'S WIFE FINED i HOPE (CP)-Nina Mav Pel-1 RUSS MALPASS ORCHESTRA Featuring 1 NOW SHOWINO 7:00 and 9:00 p.m.! likaan, the wife of Fraser Canyon farmer, was fined $25 Monday for unlawfully supplying raw milk to customers in the Hope area, contrary to reg-ulations under the Miik Industry Act. LOVE rmhl iniivnrn iiuiiUta Lobster Tails each 99c WEST COAST Crabs 99c HICKORY SMOKED Salmon n. 1.99 WINNIPEG SMOKED Goldeye 99c FISH MARKET CAFE Fresh Fish nd Tke-Out or Restaurant Service Neil door EMPRESS PAINT 143 Terminal Ave.

Phone 754-6013 A DISTINCTION Queen Victoria of England. 1837-1901. has the distinction of having her head appear on more coins than anyone in Dtspcutt Men and Wanting Women Judging of Centennial Beards Prizes for Centennial Costumes But Dress Is Optional Tickets $8.00 Per Couple Available at: Fletchers, Nanaimo Realty or from any Native Son or Daughter IirfiifirtiiiiwiiiiTiriniiiiMiiMtMirrinN -rffei 4 4 STAR LITE Driva I Sold and Serviced by Prescription Optical Co. CAPITOL MEDICAL DENTAL BUILDING Skinner Street N'anilm 1M Fhont 7S4-2212 SINGER SEWING MACHINES from $19.93 11 CmmerrUl 7S3-4CI Gate Op m. Shaw at pu'k.