PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN TENTS TARPAULINS BED ROLLS, ETC. Locally Manufacture*!, Quick Service, Standard Prices, Good Workmanship. CALL, PHONE OR WRIT* Prince George Tent & Awning Factory Corner Second and George St. The Prince George Citizen A WEEKLY NEW8PAPER Dovoted to tho Upbuilding of F'rinc George and Northern British Columbia. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Yearly - - - $2.00 in advance Half-Yearly - 31.00 In advance To U. S. end Foreign Points, $1.0 per annum additional. Prince George Hotel Grill £F YOU ABE particular aboat jour MeaJs and Service, don't step into the first plaoo you come to, bnt try the Priac* George Hotel Grill. Open Day ud Niffht Private Dining Room For Parties A. DBMAS, Manager. CITY CARTAGE AND TRANSFER CO. Forwarding and Agent* PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. Phone Us for Coal R. J. CARVET, Proprfetea Plum© 14B. WHEN YOU THINK OF EYES THINK OF STBAOY (Tha Horn* ef the Best-) STEACY'S PHARMACY Mclnnis& Wilson BUILDERS Dealers in LUMBER, BUILDING SUPPLIES, CEDAR FENCE POST*. Corner Quebec and Fourth. REDUCING THE ASvSESSMJffiNT At the pity council, on Thursday ovening, tho aldermen were given an insight as to what the effec would be of reducing the assesBmen of city property in accordance with the recommendation of the loca property owners' association. Th first impression one receives when the proposal is submitted is that th< new plan of making th.e assessmen involves simply a lower assessed value and a corresponding increase in the rate of taxation; but if the city assessor has sized the situation up it will mean more than that in the case of Prince George. At the present time Prince George is wel to the front of provincial cities with a tax rate of 50 mills on the dollar There are one or two places which have a higher rate, and there are others with a lower rate, but as number of citiea levy upon some percentage of the improvements, the tax rate in itself forms a very uncertain index to the burden of taxation. In considering the proposed change, it is not necessary-to attempt either to defend or denounce the administration of the present or preceding city councils. Be the administration good or bad a certain condition confronts the taxpayers of the present time. They know to a nicety just how much money it is necessary for the city to raise by taxation in order to carry on the affairs of the city. They are doing it now with a rate of 50 mills on the assessed value of the real property, and so far as residential property ia concerned the assessed value is three or four times higher than the selling price of the property. In other words it means that instead of a tax rate bf five per cent, the actual rate is fifteen or twenty per cent, upon the value of their real property. This is surely bad enough. But it would be well to canvass the situation thoroughly before deciding upon changes. Prince George has a very high rate of taxation when the relation of the assessed values is considered in con-I nection with actual or even probable ; values, but whatever else may be said of the present system it must certainly be admitted as favoring the local resident who has placed improvements upon his lots, and undoubtedly the residential owner more than the owner of business property. In the case of the residential owner, he may have a $4,000 building upon a group of lots assessed at $1,000. He is admittedly paying a cruel tax upon his lots, but when the tax is Bpread over the total value of land and improvements it does not seem so bad. Most people are of the opinion that the change suggested would uimply spread the taxation now paid upon the landB over upon a percentage of the improvements. If this were so, it would not matter very much, but, according to the city assessor, the proposed change would be much farther reaching. He has advised the city council that the adoption of the change will mean an increase in the rate on lands from 50 mills to 52.7 mills, and with a hew tax of the same magnitude upon 4 0 per cent, of the assessed value of the improvements. If it can be shown that the change would have any such effect there would not appear to be much chance of its being approved by the resident owner of improved property. The present method of taxation may not be fair to the non-resident owner of unimproved property, but his difficulty is that for the present he muBt be content to have the resident owner pass upon his claim for relief, and the resident owner will keep his eye fixed on how proposed changes in the making of the assessment will affect himself. ROUGHJJUMBER Rough Inch-Lumber is offered at $15.00 per thousand. Dimension Material of All Kinds, of-ferrlng at .......... $22.00 to $20.00 Shiplap, 0, 8 and 1O, offering at $22,00. No. 1 Fir Slabs at .... $6.00 per cord Jackpino Wood ........ $7.00 per cord B. BRISCOE FOURTH AVENUE WEST. 8KB A. H. BOOTH For Sash, Doors, Screens, Window aad Door Framrs, Miisioa Fusnitore, Store Fixtures, 3Stc. Filth Avenue, Near Quebec Quality aad Prices Right. Km. PboM 50R. PROVINCE LOSES OUT ON JAPANESE I88UE The province of British Columbia has lost out 1b the appeal which was taken to the privy council from a decision of the Supreme Court of Canada to the effect that the provincial authority had not the power to pass the legislation prohibiting tho employment of Japanese on crown timber lands. Tho federal authority took the position that the provincial legislation was In conflict with the Japanese treaty of 1913, and the supreme court was asked to pas3 upon the matter. The decision of the Canadian court was against the .province although Justice Edlnton dissented altogether, and Justice Brodeur dissented in part from the decision arrived at. The attempts of the province to shut the Japanese out of participation in crown concessions lias been interesting, and after a, sustained effort of almost twenty years it will be disappointing to find that the action of the federal government at Ottawa, in assenting to the Japanese treaty, has had the effect of tying the hands of the provincial legislature in deciding who may be entitled to participate in the working of crown concessions Buch as timber licenses, timber leases, and conces- sions of various kinds undor the mineral and placer acts of the pro* Tince. In the first Instance, fearing interference from the government at Ottawa, the provincial legislature decided to take as its authority a resolution of the legislature, which recited that in all concessions for the enjoyment of- crown privileges there should be a provision inserted that no Chinese or Japanese should be employed in connection therewith. In furtherance of this resolution all timber leases, licenses, and mineral concessions were issued with a prohibition against Chinese and Japanese labor being employed in connection therewith, and the Chinese and Japanese were shut out for years as the result. In 1921 the'present government undertook to test the matter in the courts, and the various orders-ln-councll dealing with the same were validated by a provincial Btatute. This action brought tho matter to a head and the province, by the recent decision of the privy council has lost out, in that it was held the Japanese treaty gives the subjects of Japan rights in Canada which the provincial statute infringes upon. Unless some remedy is found it will now be possible for the Japanese to over-run the timber industry as they have already succeeded in over-running the fishing industry of the province. The British quota of immigrants admissible into the United States for the current year is 7 7,34 2 and the total has now been reached so that no further admissions can be secured until the first of July next. The Canadian authorities are making an effort to Becure the overflow of immigration to the United States and all Britishers who are shut out of the United States between now and July next are to be mado welcome in the dominion. A. A. Somerville, a member of the British house of commons, in a speech at Ascot last week, recommended the acquisition of a large tract of land in Canada by the imperial government, to be used in working out a solution for the unemployment difficulty. Mr. Somerville said he had lately returned from British Columbia, and that Premier Oliver was prepared to turn over sixty million acres of land for such a purpose. Premier Oliver admits hat he had an interview with Mr. Somerville, but suggests the Britisher is somewhat mixed in his figures. The premier says he admitted there were lands here for deserving settl-rs, but he says he did not mention sixty million, or any given number of acres. Aside from the trifling de-all as to acreage available the plan should commend itself to the imper-al government in dealing with relief to persons who ha^va had experience as farmers. DH. SUTHERLAND ANNOUNCES TAX UPON GASOLINE SALES The provincial government will ntroduce an amendment to the tax-tion act at the next session of the egislature providing for the collec-ion of a tax on gasoline amounting o not more than 3 centB a gallon, ccording to the statement made by ion. W. H. Sutherland, minister of ublic work, who stated that offi-lals of his department have now irtually completed the collection of ata regarding the gasoline tax pro-osal, and that this will be used as a asis for the amendment. The mendment will probably be intro-uced by Hon. John Hart, minister f finance. Crinoline used in farming and in he operation of tractors, gasoline aws and fishing boats will be ex-mpt from taxation. There will be universal price for gasoline and hose using the gasoline for the pur-ose for which exemption is provid-d will be required to periodically wear to statements before justices f the peace as to the amount of gas-line consumed. Rebates will be ob-ained on presentation of these statements to the government agency es-ablished for this purpoBe. BRITISH CAPITAL WILL MANUFACTURE PULP FROM WASTE PRAIRIE STRAW Representatives of the Devains rocess Ltd. were in Vancouver last week. This process recently planned or Canada and headed by Sir Fred-rl«k Becker, is to collect straw of he Canadian prairieB and manufac-ure It into pulp. Straw pulp plants ave already been established in Ingland, Germany, Franco, Belgium, pain asd Java, and it - is estimated hat the straw of Canada, now urned as waste, can be manufac-ured rnto $120,000,000 In paper nnually. M. Dolfus, manager of the De-alns Process Ltd., is in Canada at resent arranging for the construc-ion of a plant in Alberta, and repre-entatives of M. Dolfus are investi-ating exporting conditions from this oast, as well as the local paper mar-et. 1923 Delicious Apples Nn,n in grapes Ontario Concords Per Basket 7Fip The Wm. Bexon Company Corner Third and George Shamrock Hams, Bacon and Lard Are the Best BUTTER, EGGS AND ORE AM ALWAYS IK STOCK TRY OUR HOME-MADE 8AUSAGB We Ourjr » F»H Urn* of GR*HW8TTJFF8—Always Fresh. P. BURNS & CO., LTD. Builders* Supplies LATH AND SHINGLES MOULDINGS boons WINDOWS GLASS ROOFING BUILDING PAPER CEMENT LIME PLABTSR BRICK FIHE BRICK DRAIN TILtH FIRE CLAY Andersen's Lumber Yard, 3rd Ave TELEPHONE 55A. P. O. BOX. II Order from Any Government Vendor PALE BEER A IJG1TT, clear, amber-colored ** bcvoirfcffe, as refreshing and appeUzlag as tho finest beer should be. Its consistent parity is fissured by ncrapaloa» care (two to the method of brewing:.' This advertisement is net published or displayed by the Liquor Control Board or by the Government •£ Britisk Columbia. fARY ELLEN SMITH MAY MAKE ANOTHER TRIP TO ENGLAND NEXT YEAR Mary Ellen Smith, M.L.A., Van-ouver, who has been In Great Bri-ain for the past three months on ehalf of the federal government, ooklng into possibilities for emigra-on to Canada, has presented her sport to Hon. J. A. Robb, minister f immigration, and is back in Van- couver for the approaching session of the legislature., While no arrangements have been made for another visit, Mrs. Smith, said tbat it was very probable she would go over again next spring at the joint request of the British and Canadian authorities. U. 8. CAPITALISTS SAID TO FAVOR HEAVY INVESTMENT IN TULAMEEN PLACEK FIELD C. M. Snowden s said to have been successful in interesting United States capitalists in the working of a group of placer claims along the Talameen river, In the southern portion of the province. It is said that a contradiction in the terms of the placer act of the province is the only barrier to the commencement of operations, and the matter is to he referred to Hon. William Sloan, as minister of mines. The property ia located in the bed of the Tulamoen river in the vicinity of Whipsaw creek. It was to be worked for platinum, oHinium, lridium, palladium and gold. CARIBOO LODGE No. 65,1.O.O.F. VISITING BROTHERS WELOOMJ* Meats lT«ry Tuesday in I. 0. 0. f HalL Third Avenue, Prince Oeonre. B.C. Corless Limited Funeral Directors Agents for Monum.nUi and Tombstone- Motor Ambulance Quebec St. Next to Rojr-1 *** Phone »7A