The Chilliwack Progress from Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada • Page 1

2 The FIFTY-SIXTH YEAR, Vol. No. 14 What, no rain today? Plants Work to Capacity 2000-Ton Berry Crop At Peak The raspberry crop in Chilliwack and Yarrow districts will reach peak proportions this week despite excessive rains, according to With an adequate' supply of crates and barrels on hand, local processing plants are working to capacity to handle the crop. Friday was top day for Pacific and Yarrow Co-ops, the former processing 44 tons that day, and Yarrow 430 barrels. In addition, Pacific Co-op has shipped 75 tons to Fraser Valley Frosted Foods in the past two weeks, and an equal amount to New Westminster freezing plants.

J. C. Krause, head of Yarrow Co-op, stated Monday that his plant has packed 400 tons of its 1000-ton share of the huge United Kingdom order for raspberries in SO2 solution. With the crop peak expected to extend to another 10 days, Mr. Krause believes that the plant will have no difficulty in filling the whole order.

Due to the unseasonal rains, shipment of berries to the prairie fresh fruit market has virtually ceased. The berries have absorbed too much moisture to reach the market in good condition. Prunes in the district are reported to be in good condition, and a 200-ton crop is expected. Two Youths Await Sentence Sentence for Marcel Van Styvendale and Albert Macauley, formerly slated for Monday was postponed for another week. The two youths were found guilty of breaking and entering Fort Hope garage June they appeared before Judge Harry Sullivan in county court, New Westminster, Tuesday, July 9.

Judge Sullivan found Van Styvendale guilty, partly on his own evidence. Van Styvendale took the stand and declared he was in the car at Hope and that he had seen the other youths put packages of cigarettes in the car. "You knew the goods were stolen?" queried A. W. Petapiece, prosecutor.

The accused said he did. Albert Macauley pleaded guilty to breaking and entering. Melville Mayberry and John Kneller were acquitted by Judge Sullivan, owing to lack of direct evidence connecting them with breaking into the garage. Kneller and Mayberry stated they had been given a lift to Hope and were picked up later by the two other youths and were unaware of a breaking and entering during the interval. A charge of being in possession of burglars' tools at Haney on June 5 was dismissed.

Better Weather -Maybe Residents who have been concerned with the precipation in the first two weeks in July will be interested to know that there was no rainfall in July last year until after the middle of the month. According to the law of averages the remainder of July this year should be bright and sunny. Here is the weather report for this week: Max. Min. Rn.

Wednesday 76 50 .30 Thursday 63 59 .17 Friday 72 52 Saturday 72 53 Sunday 70 54 .27 Monday 65 52 .31 Tuesday 71 47 Total rainfall in inches 1.05 Chillimark A CHILLIWACK, B. "in the name of His Majesty Spontaneous applause came fron the crowd attending the unveiling service at RCSME Sunday after His Excellency Viscount Alexander pinned the Order of the British Empire on the Pacific Coast Militia Ranger tunic of Col. A. Leslie Coote, the Fraser Valley's wellknown "old soldier." The respected and beloved veteran of two wars stood before the governor-general while F. G.

Letson, CB, CBE, MC, ED, referred to his World War 1 record and of his return from the Royal Observer Corps in England World War 11 to organize the Pacific Coast Militia Rangers, of which he became area commandant in 1941. Col. Coote's "devotion to duty was an inspiration" and he gave unstintingly of time and money, the citation declared. His Excellency took the order from the cushion held by Maj. Gen.

B. M. Hoffmeister, pinned it on Col. Coote's left breast. a The black bereted figure hustled down the path from the cenotaph into the crowd to receive a host of congratulations, announced "'The worst thing I've ever had to do You're all alone, you know." New Roads, Drains, Sewers Community Center Work Progressing Work is progressing on the development of adequate traffic and parking facilities leading to the community center at the Fair Grounds.

Spadina avenue between Mary and Main has been widened ten feet by reducing the boulevard width and uprooting trees. The street will be paved to a width of fifty feet. Between Mary and Corbould, center boulevard has been narrowed and between Corbould and Stanley, where the center boulevard has been eliminated, gravel has been laid. Development of a 100-foot road on Corbould between Hodgins and Spadina is going ahead. The road will provide for more parking space and will also allow a greater volume of traffic to use the street as an exit from the grounds.

A new sewer line will be laid to service the buildings which will I constitute the center and a surface drain has already been put in along Corbould. Additional parking facilities and building sites will be Special appeal for public cooperation in instituting the 44-hour week for garage and service station employees is made by automotive association officials. In an advertisement on page 10 of this issue, the garage men state that the new provincial hours of work regulation is complicating their operations considerably. Garages and service stations are on a 48-hour week, plus special night and Sunday hours taken by stations in rotation. To comply with the new hours law, operators are running only "emergency crews" Wednesday and Saturday afternoons.

On both these afternoons major mechanical jobs cannot be out. On Sundays evenings up to carried, 9 p.m., one garage and one service station is open in Chilliwack to accommodate tourist business and, the emergency municipality, local calls. zones have been established and service will be available in each zone evenings and Sundays. In a series of advertisements designed to familiarize public with their problem, garagemen will list week-end stations open in each issue of The Progress during summer months. Receives Cachet Envelope Garages Change Service Jack Vowles this week received a letter from his parents in WesSuper Marie, England, in a cachet envelope bearing the special cachet of the first flight from Preswick, Scotland, to Vancouver marking Vancouver's 60th Diamond Jubilee.

Where Is Toronto? Even Toronto Heard Story Chilliwack's "championship" cherry pie eating contest July 1 hit the front pages of The Toronto Star recently, with a special article concerning the victory of Mayor J. P. McCammon of Paris over his nephew, Chilliwack's Mayor Theo. McCammon. Complete with a picture of "the champ," The Star had the following story via its Brantford correspondent: Mayor J.

P. McCammon of Paris, has been crowned the new cherry pie-eating champion of Canada, or at least that part of it centering about Chilliwack, B.C., where, with no holds barred, he whipped B.C, cabinet ministers and his nephew, Mayor Theodore McCammon of Chilliwack. Men of Mayor McCammon's town, while shouting bravos, are inclined to think that somebody held back a little to let their chief magistrate, who perhaps is the smallest chief magistrate in Canada (he weighs about 96 pounds) take the title. He is not much higher than a cherry pie, the deep cherry pie, that is, that they make in British Columbia. "I won," said Mayor McCammon in a letter back home, "and it was a lot of fun." "Without too much modesty, Mayor McCammon reported the pie-eating competition went on "on the main stage" with practically all Chilliwack looking on; but he said he never batted an eye as he lit into the pie with full vigor.

Chief hazards were errant he hit every now and then. These he rid himself of like a machine-gun spitting bullets." Mayor McCammon of Chilliwack received the news of his uncle's front page burst in a communication from T. P. Knight, 197 Laughton avenue, Toronto. Mr.

Knight enclosed clippings for the mayor's perusal. To San Francisco Colin C. Johnston leaves by air for San Francisco Friday, to attend an insurance convention in that city. Trip is in the nature of an award to Mr. Johnston by Parsons, Brown Ltd.

of Vancouver, general. insurance underwriters, whose lines Mr. Johnston handles. provided by levelling of land in the grounds between Hodgins and Spadina along Corbould avenue. A site for tennis courts is being cleared and levelled.

The whole area will be gravelled. The job is expected to take several weeks. The city has also prepared Wellington between Mary and Main for full width parking which will provide better parking facilities in the downtown area. COMING EVENTS July Cultus 18-25: Lake. Skating, Friday, July 19: Dance, Riverside Pavilion.

July 19-20: Strand, "Leave Her to Heaven." July 19-20-22-24: Dances, Cultus Lake. July 22-23: Strand, "The Fifth Chair" and "Rockin' in the Rockies." July 24-25: Strand, "Blondie's Lucky Day." Friday, July 26: Technocracy Lecture, Masonic Hall. Saturday, July 27: Circus, Fair Grounds. Delegation Says Charges Excessive for Dairy Farms Ask For Permanent Sumas Dyking Charge Requesting elimination of in maintenance charges, a large Sumas farmers living within sented what Dean F. M.

Clement, the provincial enquiry into was "a very fair" summary of pal hall Thursday morning and Prominent farmers and municipal officials presented a united front on the question. The hearing started at 9:30 p.m., adjourned for lunch and finally broke up at 4 p.m. J. Pitcairn Hogg, Vancouver barrister, was counsel for the commission. S.

Leslie Brice, clerk of the township presented dyke cost figures and charges on land in the Chilliwack area at Dean Clement's request. The Sums delegation asserted that dairy. farm land could not pay the charges which the gOVernment proposed to make. Municipal taxes were increasing and while no attempt was made to have the maintenance charges eliminated, the delegation, headed Progress R15, M46. butter WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1946 FOURTEEN PAGES Col.

H. L. Meuser, OBE, the director of the corps of Royal Canadian Engineers (right) welcomes His Excellency, Viscount Alexander, governor-general of Canada, to the Royal Canadian A great honor to welcome to-day School of Military Engineering honorary aide-de-camp and Lt.for the unveiling of All Sappers Col. C. N.

Mitchell, MC? War Memorial here Sunday officer commanding RCSME, afternoon. His Excellency (with look on. cane) Gen. B. M.

Hoff- Over two thousand people meister, CB, CBE, DSO, ED, witnessed the ceremony. Scene Dominated By Famed Empire War Leader 2000 Attend Ceremonies A crowd estimated at 2,000 military ceremony at the Royal Engineering here Sunday Viscount Alexander, bronzed, general of Canada, unveiled All Carried out with all the precision and pomp of which the army. is capable, the vice regal visit was extended to an hour and a quarter and was, dominated by the trim figure, voice, soldier-like carriage personality of pleasant, one of the Empire's most famed fighting men. Alighting from his maroon convertible touring at 3 p.m., Their Excellencies were welcomed by Col. C.

N. Mitchell, VC, MC, officer commanding RCSME and Mrs. Mitchell; stepped into a circle comprised of hundreds of Chilliwack people and visitors, high ranking military officers from all parts of Canada, cadets, CGIT, members of the Canadian Legion. After taking the royal salute from a sixty-man guard of honor under Capt. G.

A. Carmichael, His Excellency inspected the guard, stopped and chatted with several of the men. In welcoming His Excellency to the camp, Col. H. L.

Meuser, OBE, director of the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers, pointed to the strong ties which RCSME has with sappers of the Empire. It was fitting, he said, that the memorial should be built here because "every sapper in service will spend some time here, either in training or as an instructor." Viscount Alexander, in unveiling the memorial, referred to the "magnificent men of this great corps" who were "unsurpassed in 1914-18" whose "gallant, distinguished and important role" in World War II was exceeded by none. "They have been in the forefront of battle. I can pay them no greater tribute than to say they are frontline soldiers." His excellency pulled the cord which freed the flag draped over the memorial. After bestowing the Order of Officer of the British Empire on Col.

A. Leslie Coote (see adjoining column) His Excellency stood for the dedication ceremonies performed by H. Hargreaves, Col. W. C.

Mawhinney, Park, Col. A. J. Schimnowski and L. S.

Ritza. Wreaths were laid on the cenotaph by the officers and men of the camp, the city of Chilliwack and the Canadian Legion. The vice regal party drove to the officers' mess, enjoyed tea, and Viscountess Alexander was presented with a gold brooch from the mess. The brooch was a Royal Ration Calendar Ration coupons due tomorrow are butter S22 and 823, and meat Coupons still valid throughout July are R10 to R15, S1 to S23, meat M40 to M46. $2.00 PER YEAR Stores Wait Council Action On Closing "Situation normal: all fouled up" continued to provide an accurate description of store closing hours 1.4 the city this week as merchants awaited council action on a proposed all -day Wednesday closing bylaw.

Over-all closing for all lines of business appeared a remote possibility today as a majority of retail food outlets was reported prepared to ask exemption from the Wednesday closing plan. This morning 21 retail outlets in the center of town were closed, a Progress poll showed. Open were food stores, hardware stores and David Spencer department store. A majority of eligible merchants have signed a petition requesting all day Wednesday closing and these, along with a number of merchants who want Saturday night closing but who agreed to abide by the will of the majority, are said to constitute more than 75 per cent of the eligible retail outlets. If 75 per cent of the merchants agree on all day Wednesday cloging, council must pass a bylaw to that effect.

SIX OUT OF TEN 1 the dyke compelled to pay a greater levy where the benefits are manifestly less. Under the 1946 levy the capital charge has been increased over that previously set by adding crued interest, thus the interest is compounded to this extent. While it is true farming conditions have improved in the last few years we have no guarantee that these conditions will continue and would suggest that in considering ability to pay that the present favorable conditions be considered the unfavorable condialongside, the 30's. We would also point out the great benefit derived from the Sumas dyke by the provincial government in construction and maintenance of the Canada highway. Further the elimination of the mosquito pest benefitted a much greater area than that otherwise affected by the dyke, A large share of the produce of the valley goes to feed the starving people of Europe and a con(Continued on Page Three) Food store operators, are however, planning to submit a statement saying that a majority of them do not wish to be included in any Wednesday morning closing bylaw.

Aubrey Roberts, Vancouver, public relations counsel for Safeway Stores, told The Progress yesterday that six of the ten food outlets were in favor of remaining open Wednesday morning, closing on Saturday night. "Safeway feels that food stores are in a special category and while we do not want to interfere with the wishes of the majority, we feel that the wishes of the majority of food merchants should be Tespected." The Safeway outlet here has been closed the last two Saturday nights, in keeping with the chain's general policy. Some stores continue to close at 5 p.m., others at 5:30 p.m. weekdays. Some store owners endeavoured to secure joint action yesterday in an effort to settle what would be done about closing today but the situation this morning was little changed from what it has been during the last year--some stores open, some closed.

people witnessed a colorful Canadian School of Military afternoon when His Excellency, bemedalled, handsome governorSappers' War Memorial. Canadian Engineer's badge in miniature, mounted on a gold bar pin and was made from nuggets of gold mined at the camp's placer mining claim, Texas creek. The governor-general received a painting of the memorial done by Major J. W. Davies, second in command at RCSME and a wellknown artist.

The picture shows Promontory in the background and Liumchin mountain bathed in the rosy glow of the setting sun. Presents were also made, in absentia, to the three vice regal youngsters a pair of beaded moosehide moccasins for 13-yearold Rose, beaded moosehide gauntlets for nine-year-old Shane and five-year-old Brian. A number of prominent visitors and local citizens were presented to Their Excellencies. A number of distinguished visitors who were flying from England to represent the Royal Engineers at the ceremony failed to arrive when all Constellations were grounded by U.S. air authorities.

In the vice regal party were Maj. Gen. B. M. Hoffmeister, CB, CBE, DSO, ED, Group Capt.

McNab, CBE, DFC, RCAF, Com- Col. Mitchell Trip OC to Inspect Alaska Road C. N. Mitchell, VC, MC, will accompany Brig. G.

Walsh, CBE, DSO, officer commanding the northwest highway system back to Whitehorse, military headquarters of the system. The trip will be made in army vehicles over the Alaskan highway. About 250 miles a day is the planned rate of progress for the trip. Also accompanying Brig. Walsh will be F.

Worthington, CB, MC, MM, GOC Pacific command and Col. H. L. Meuser, OBE, director of RCE Domestic note to living in Whitehorse according to Brig. Walsh is the price of 30c a quart for "not very fresh" milk, brought from Edmonton.

A policy aimed at eliminating "shack-towns" on the fringes of organized municipalities, and at the same time providing better facilities for people in these areas, was announced Monday by Hon. R. C. Macdonald, Minister of Municipal Affairs, mander K. O.

McRae, OBE, commanding officer HMCS Discovery, honorary aides. Distinguished guests included Brig. G. Walsh, officer commanding the north-west highway system and formerly chief engineer, First Canadian Army; Col. H.

L. Meuser, OBE, director of the corps of Royal Canadian Engineers; Col. W. G. Swan, former command engineer officer, Pacific Command, who was prominently connected with the planning for and construction of the camp; Brig.

E. C. Plow, district officer commanding. M.D. 11; Maj.

Gen. H. F. H. Hertzberg, former commandant RMC; Brig.

A. T. McLean, former chief engineer, Canadian Army. Gallagher Bid Wins Harold Gallagher, Hope busline operator, will be given a temporary permit to operate a city transit system from August until January, city council has decided. The question of a five-year franchise will probably be put before ratepayers at the civic elections at year end.

Township 'Holds Line' on Surfacing No Extension Of Paving Plans No additional road paving township council decided Saturday. be laid on Sumas Prairie road decided program. Residents scribe and donate an amount the road cost at four per cent, Petitions from residents on Ford street, Sardis, (420 feet) and 21 residents of School and Higginson roads, between Vedder and Chilliwack river roads, will be given priority in any road surfacing program undertaken next season. Council decision Saturday was that the outlay already incurred should not be exceeded this year. NEW GARBAGE DUMP Many enquiries as to where refuse may be dumped without ere curring a fine were reported by Reeve Richardson and by the municipal office.

Council decided to have the dragline dredge moved early this week to the new refuse dump at the foot of the mountain below Promontory, where a plan of trenching and filling will be worked out. Dean F. M. Clement, commissioner investigating dyking assessments as affecting farmers, wrote thanking council for courtesies extended and for valuable information supplied. Township public works staff will observe the new provincial 44-hour week, instead of the former 48- hour week.

A request by Harry Preston for financial consideration in connection with ditch cribbing along a roadway will be investigated. will be undertaken this season, A mile of surfacing will in addition to the previously along the mile of road will subequal to one year's interest on it was reported. capital charges and a reduction delegation of Chilliwack and the Sumas dyking area precommissioner in charge of dyking and irrigation costs, said their contentions at the municiafternoon. by Fred Toop, said that the dyke charge should not exceed $2.25 an acre. Municipal taxes now amount to about $3 an acre and a large number of speakers believed that dairy farm land could not stand a tax of over $5 an acre.

Maintenance and capital taxes combined on Sumas land run between $7.86 to $3.74. Among those testifying were Mr. Toop, Reeve Alex Hougen of Sumas, E. W. McPhail, clerk of the municipality; Charles Murray, W.

Fadden, Charles Gibbs, Colin Blacklock, Fred Zink, Councillor Clarence Newby, Peter W. Wallace, Bruce Dixon, dyking commissioner. The Sumas delegation's brief was as follows: It is not our intention to go into ancient history in this brief but in order to get a proper perspective it will be necessary to refer to past events to some extent. When the present scheme was first proposed the engineers sent out by the then provincial government and some government representatives stated that the scheme would cost $1,500,000.00, later raised to $1,800,000.00. We were given touunderstand that the sale of the lands when reclaimed would provide sufficient funds to take care of the capital charge, and that maintenance only would be required from the property owner.

It is not necessary to go into the factors leading up to increased cost of the scheme and an the difficulties encountered in disposing of the lake lands. These lake lands have now been all sold and the purchasers relieved from capital charge are paying $2.25 per acre per annum maintenance tax on land, the whole value of which is due to the Dyke. While under the 1946 levy much of the land that was farmed before ASK TAX REFUNDS Floyd D. Cussack who has purchased property in the township applied for a refund of the $15 school tax. Should the applicant have his property registered within six months the tax will be refunded, council decided.

A somewhat similar case was that of an applicant who has purchased a lot and is building a home in the city, but is at present a renter in the township. He protested payment of the tax. Council decision was that he must pay the tax, and if his town property is registered in time, his $15 will be refunded. Gravel from township stock pile, Young road south, will be available each Monday until further notice. Use of the gravel loader will be available each Monday.

Through neighborly consideration of John F. Klassen, on the Arlo Merritt farm, Chilliwack mountain, Harold Tully is to get a gazetted road to his property from the end of the Lickman road. The road will pass through Mr. Klassen's property close to his home site. Construction costs are to be met by Mr.

Tully. Coun. Newby was appointed to assist in Jocating the new road. Mr. Tully has been making persistent efforts for many months to secure better access to his hill property..