CASTLEGAR NEWS, Thursday, Nov. 24, 1960

~ Basler Magazine

veraing’ ths. i:storical trend, Over

the past-two decades, as Ottawa
assumed greater taxing powers and
began spreading such bounties as
unemployment instance and baby
bonuses, the impact of the central
on « oltizens

ended tast

while: that of

month, Britlah-Columbia’s biggest
newspaper, the Vancouver Sun, bu-
Tied the story among the super-
market ads ot Page 23.

The rival Province

the province declined, -
Men like the late Maurice Du-
Plessis of. Quebec, Mitchell Hepburn

, {Of Ontario and, more recently, New-

+decided that this climactic event
in the national Parliament rated
front page mention —:they covered

(t in three «: ssentences at’ the pot) d

tom of the page,

‘There is an obvlons | reason why
the press. and publls of British’ Co-
lumbia pay scant attention’ to the
federel government. The reason: is
BO's spectacular: Premier, William
Alexander Cecil Bennett.

Mr, Bennett looms: so large on
the local political scene and gov-
erns his province so: actively that
the personalities “and pronounce-
ments of faraway Ottawa are. al-
most completely overshadowed in
the process. -

A provinclal Premier who com-
mands attention these days {is re-

Joey maon-
aged to grab, occasional attention
by waging public battles against
Ottawa encroachments.

A few other Premiers (c.g, On-
tarlo's Leslie Prost, Siskatchewan’s
‘Tommy Douglas and Manitoba's
Duff Roblin) put on bursts of ac-

elections,

But, thelr importance in ‘their
own provinces as well as on the
national scene steadily diminished

tivity-and Mashed briefly pte their[*\

Hails Accomplishments of B.C’s Premier .B

But the socred label served his pure
Pose and the new party organiza-
tion thot he hastily, put ‘together
outran ‘the well-established oppos-
ition of Liberals, Torles and COF.

From the outset, “Bennett made
it plain that he intended’ to' do
things differently, Without waiting
for~any ceremonial surrender of
powers by the old regime, the new
Premier gathered his, cabinet. min-
isters around him in downtown Vic-
tora and headed for his neriy-won
office, ‘

‘Astonished civil ‘servants ‘peered
‘out the windows ‘as the: marchers,
with Bennett.in the lead, swung up|
the; curving driveway toward the
Legislative Building literally to take
over the government, ,.*
Astonishment-at Bennett's per-
formance has been mounting stead-
ly ever since, Hardly a week has
passed in his eight-year rule’ that
the Premier has not come up with

as thelr terms of office len;
Gradually they reverted to the pro-
totype. of the modern provincial
Premier: ‘a routine ‘administrator
who plods to Ottawa .at intervals
to plead fdr a bigger kick-back of
Yederally-collected taxes, then home
again to dispense the handout’ as

and quietly as pos-
sible,
‘There is nothing routine, con-

{ventional or quiet about .W. A, ©.

Bennett. Qver the past elght years,
he’ has’ given British Columbla the
livellest, most'-resourceful: provincia?

| administration in Canada.

“One call wings you" Se
the wonderful world of ware

FOR
DETAILS ON
Esso.
Ol .
FURNACES:
OR
" BURNERS
~ CALL

SMITH’S|

PLUMBING & HEATING
wee a

_ CASTLEGAR
PHONE ‘3401

eaff your nearest
Olt sales office

é Engineered for
© Modern’ Living

Low Down Payment
Easy Monthly Terms
6 Yeas to Pay

Guaranteed hy:
Imperial Oil

“IMPERIAL |;

PRODUCTS

In the forthcomng (September
12) election, Bennett is heavily fa-
vored to win a fourth term and

Premiership, But win or lose,.the
man already has established’ a solid

4, Teputation as one of -the boldest,

us Provincial Politic-
jans of his day. .

An “amaxting:. - polliieal upset
brought this New

. ident of the Robson Women’s Insti-

gome some
grandiose , ;development’ scheme or
works } project’ to impress BO clti-

zens with’ the activity and imagin-|°

ation of their provincial govern-
ment. Among his |

PREMIER. BENNETT)

e. He. Tegan * paying direct
yearly grants to help ,home-owners
meet’ local: real’ estate. taxes, ‘The
grants began at $28 in°1959, rose to
$50 per. honierowner this" year. °
@ To bring the provincial g0o-
vernment closer to the: people and

@ Bennett made’ his province
nomifally debt-free ‘and. instituted
a pay-as-you-go policy for all ‘non-
fanadble public works.

save the’ expense of
sending délegations to’ the. provin-
lal. capital, Bennett inaugurated
the practice of holding cabinet
meetings in all parts of the pro-

| vinco.. Ministers discuss: and - nay

local: problems with joea offlotals
on‘the'scene, |", - F

e Bennett revamped BO's
near-bankrupt hospital plan, imade

in the: country. Residents pay a

; Hel $1 per day for hospital care,

diess’of, treatment Fouulred or

of! ea-
ueation grants under which atud-|

Portion of their university fees pald
ent, Bennett also .boost-
a grants to the University of Brit-

"| ish ‘Columbie by nearly 300 per cent;

providing USO.’ with the: highest
per anit provincial grant’ Can-
‘ada, :*

as “Despite. the fnat" thist BO
ia.one .of:.the most Heavily union-|;

ized provinces, Bennett) had the
‘courage to put a brake on labor un-
‘tons when he felt ‘it was needed,
His labor law, in effect, puts
unions on the: same basis as busi-
ness. firms, requires them to keep
full records of all transactions and
‘to. produce booka for inspection
when. ordered by a court, Labor
lenders griped nolaily, about the:te-
gistation but rank and {ile iinton
members quietly approved ‘the Jaw,
and the, protection it affords them.
His

Plans. Made. For.
Christmas Party |

set @ new tenure record for the BO! -

Mrs. J. Scott was re-elected pre-

tute at’ the annual meeting held

recently at the home of Mrs. V.| |
Patull

hardware merchant to ‘power elght
years ago. -
A lifeclong Tory, Bennett, sud-

‘| denly bolted the party a few. mon-

ths before the impending election
and faised the banner of the Soc
clal” Credit Lapeer ‘which was

ted

EB. H. McPhee, Mrs. H, Evans and

Mrs, P. Jolly were named directors.

Vice-president for the group will be

chosen at e directors’ meeting.
Committee reports showing a

successful year were siven, apring |:

tile meeting.
Mrs.

\g Pro-
‘nce of Alberta, ~

There was no evidence before-,
‘Jhand — and there has been Uttle
since — that Bénnett* himself was
much -enthused ‘ahout ;the turgid
Social Credit monetary . theories.

W. T.: Waldie “tard of a: successful
children’s Lctee party_ Le plant
sale,

Mrs. Fowler of ‘the edueation
committee, reported’ on attendance

at the SHHS-awardé da} and also} >
sé disposal noted that suitable grounds.

Beer
IM THE GREAT.
“NORTHWEST

: BRE WED-IN. THE «
KOOTENAYS TO:
‘KOOTENAY. TASTES.

of an addréss given by. a guest
speaker at “the March’.meeting "in
‘with ‘Week.

_{ ths 800 mile Pacitic Great Eastern|
Rallway,: linking’ the Peace ‘River’
country. of northeastern BC with

rallway ‘project"has' been Isunched
largely: at Berinett's urging, to con=
nect BC and the Yukon with Alas-

@ He miodernized the Pro-
ince’s outmoded. mining laws which
had long stified exploration in’ the

Mrs, O. B, Ballard reporting
for the cemetery,’ stated’ that all
crosses have ‘been painted and the

;;Qrounds and. graves are in’ good

condition.
* The home economics * report,
given by Mrs, MoPhee, pointed out

+|that useful hints pad ‘been given at

each meeting. *

For the sick visiting; Mrs, 8.
Humphries reported cards and flow-
ers had beens sent and visits ‘made
throughout ‘the year. The hospital
report presented by Mrs. A, Sme-
cher showed.that blankets had been
purchaséd:for the District wt room
in the Castlegar hospit:

>, Mya, Waldie speaking for refuse

hhad been: located,

Mrs. Fowlehyshowed that blankets
had been sent to Castlegar fire vie-
tims,

Mrs. Scott. extended thanks ‘to
all and for

2 The alrecfars’! report given by}

northern areas. As 6 re-
sult, an oll and gas exploration
boom got under way in northeastern
BO, a petroleum industry second
only to Alberta's was developed.and
the provinclal treasury hes: already
reaped $53,000,000 in land sales ze:
venues‘ and royalties. :

At the present rate of develop-
ment, BO soon will be rtceiving
$100,000,000 & year — negrly one-
third of, its present total budget ~ _
from this one industry, -/--

@ When he felt that Ottawa's
attention to the area was lax, Ben-
nett: called’ a conference with the
Commissioner of the Yukon Terri-
tory:and’ the Governor of. Alaska
to plan a joint effort.in promoting
@eveolpment of the Northwest.

’ : Eventually he plans to get the
goverziments of Washington, Oregon
and California to participate . and
set up & north-south trading ‘bloc
tiat will make the West Coast ess

their work during the past. year,
Plans were madé'to hold, pot-
luck supper for: the ‘Annual ‘Christ

Tt was decided that instead of] enl
the regular exchange of gifts, -mem-
hers would ‘bring -a gift suitable for

_ | mental: health’ patients, Mrs.’ ‘Wal-
die, Mra,,H. Evans and’ Mrs, Fow-|1

lee are the committee in charge of
‘this‘event..
> Mrs, -Waldie and Mrs, ©, Su-

F/ therland were hostesses for the o¢-

casion, during which Mra. Scott pre-
a. cake to Mrs, ©, 8. Squires,

who will. mark her 8th birthday.
B. Ballard presented. Mré.

tt one of the beat, if not the best, | ding

ents with ‘Superior grades have- ‘a 2

‘Vancouver. Now 8 second masor | 55
aspects of Bennett's performance Is | ©

dependent upon the industrial, East,

@ = Alhough jauch’ critiolzed,
Bennett pushed ahead* with | the
Peace 'River'’ development soheme
under which forelga, capital, sede

nett was “appatiea by the province's ,
financial: situation when he took
office, BC's public debt ran to $220,-
000,000 and the* Province, paying a
higher-than-average interest rate

ests ag. well as British’ sate UB:
firms, will develop the vast’ Pesce
River power Project, -bulld a" rail. | !
way arid open up ‘long-neglected

areas of northern BO for setilemént |"!

and industrial development,’

Probably the most ambitious,
‘and. certainly. the most noticeable
of Bennett's achievements has been
his’ public. works -program:: The
headlong drive that’ he has main-

on page 2 a)

tained ‘since: taking office to bulld| |_.

10nd, bridges, public builaings, nas
literally changed the* face of Bri-
tish Columbia:

-building hos been opened in some.

‘part of the province, Every’ year, |’

500 miles of new highway, 400 miles
of it paved, has ‘been laid. Every
month for elght years, the Bennett
government has averaged three new
bridges and has opened at least one
new provincial park. -

‘Under ,Bennett’s hospital-build-
ing program, 600 béds a year haye’

been added to the province's hospl- |.

tal capacity, Every month, an aver-
age’.of 50. new schoojrooms - have
been ‘opened, “with the Provincial

'.. Every five 'wdeks, a ‘new. ‘ public F

Government paying up .to ‘90 ‘per |" !

cent of the building. costs,
One of the most eye-catching

the manner in which he has fin-

anced his various projects.
A successful and’ wealthy bus-
if:with a {Profitable |

__Ponvenient budget termea
ie up to 6 years to pay

THURSDAY. — FRIDAY & SATURDAY.

SPECIAL DISCOUNT IN APPRECIATION | Ce}
- YOUR: VALUED .PATRONAGE ~ 5

‘GOATS Entire Stock 20%: On.

_A SPECIAL. a: dealt

~ A GROUP. lee DRESSES

~ALL THIS:SEASON’S STYLES:
aio; =

Bauires th o-gift on behalf of the

1

This i
Control Board or iat the

of British

by the Taner ‘

~ Blanket,

gets. :

Hei ts dat ands into wen wa ot Yo
i A

keep the

10 matter how, “eold: the. room

Applianeé Dealera

oN
“SPORTSMAN

LANTERN.

‘Barham and: ‘Sands

“TICKET ‘WHEN YOU'RE :
IN WITH MOM: AND® DAD

BEST VALUE.
STADIUM: BOOTS:

"IDEAL. FOR. CURLING: