PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN Thursday, April 22, 192 CARIBOO LODGE No. 65,1.O.O.F. VISITING BROTHERS WELCOME Meets Every Tuesday in I. O. 0. P. Hall, Third Avenue, Prince George, B. C. LEGAL J. M. McLEAN BARRISTER, SOLICITOR AND NOTARY PUBLIC Prince George, British Columbia. WILSON & WILSON BARRISTERS AND SOLICITORS Prince George, B.C. SURVEYORS F. P. BURDEN BRITISH COLUMBIA LAJMB SURVEYOR Successors wo Green Bros., Burden & Co., Fort George Branch. NOTARIES PUBLIC F. J. SHEARER NOTARY PUBLIC AND CONVEYANCER. Fire Insurance, Life. Accident and Sickness Policies. Millar Section Lots for Sale. Box 37. Prince George, B.C. M. C. WIGGINS REAL ESTATE & INSURANCE, NOTARY PUBLlfc General Brokerage Business. Property managed for nonresident owners. OHke: Corner 4th & George, Prince George. B.C. INSURANCE H. G. PERRY & COMPANY INSURANCE, TIMBER, LANDS, REAL ESTATE BONDS. P.O. Drawer 3. Phone 61B. DENTISTRY DR. A. H. BAYNE. D.D.S. Prince George. Prince George Hotel Grill THE PLACE TO EAT. The only place in the city for Oysters in the Shell. Open Day and Night Private Dining Room F«r Parties A. DEMAS and G. KOLIAS Proprietors. CITY CARTAGE AND TRANSFER CO. Forwarding and Distributing Agents PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. Phone Us for Coal R. J. GARVEY, Proprietor Phone 14B. Wide-Awake Shoe Shop P.O. Box 154. Expert Shoe Repairing McNamee & Wallin ELECTRICAL WORKERS. Estimates Submitted on All Work. No job too bijr— none too smaH. A Complete Stock of Electrical Supplies. The Prince George Citizen A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Devoted to the Upbuilding of Prince George and Northern British Columbia. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Yearly - - - $2.00 in advance Half-Yearly - $1.00 in advance To U. S. and Foreign Points, $1.00 per annuan additional. Third Are. Opp. SALE SUGGESTED OF REVERTED LANDS. The city of New Westminster has adopted the practice of offering for sale at public auction the lots which have reverted to the corporation for unpaid taxes. Last week between 500 and 600 parcels, which had been assessed at from $300 to $600, were put under the hammer and sold at prices ranging from $10 to $40 each. While the prices realized were low, the sale attracted sufficient interest to draw 200 persons to attend. The city secured not only the advantage of the sale prices, but by putting the parcels back on the assessment roll may be in a position to improve its mill rate for next year. Something of this kind might be attempted in Prince George. It is not sufficient to show that anyone interested in the purchase of a piece of property, which has reverted, may purchase the same by private treaty. An advertised sale, with a publication of the lots available, creates an interest. There is every reason to believe an advertised sale of the reverted lands in Prince George would result in the moving of a number of the parcels, and if the lots were secured for nominal sums the purchasers would doubtless be inclined to protect them for a number of years by 'continuing to pay the taxes imposed upon them. To continue to hold the reverted lands in Prince George until the sale prices approach the assessed values, or the accrued taxes and charges against them, is unfair to the owners of property who continue to pay their taxes. The lands in the reverted list have got there because their owners came to the belief it were better for them to surrender and lose their original investment rather than continue paying the hijrh rate of taxation imposed. If others were permitted to acquire the lots at nominal prices they might reasonably be willing to pay what would be virtually a part of the purchase price in yearly taxes, in the hope that accrued values would ultimately protect their investment. The plan permits the people who are keeping things going in the city at the present time to participate in the unearned increment of land values. Putting the worst possible face upon the matter the corporation cannot lose upon such a sale, even in the event that not a single purchaser was willing to pay taxes subsequent to date of sale. In any event the property would again revert to the city, and the corporation would be ahead the net amount realised at such sale. The taxes of reverted lands are piling- up year after year at such a rate that the members of the present council might well feel justified : in making almost any kind of an experiment in order to recover some part of the whole, and at the ssime time increase thea ggregate values upon which the tax rate is struck each year. REDUCED TAXATION WILL FIND MUCH FAVOR. The budget of Hon. J. A. Robb, which was delivered in Ottawa on Thursday last, will be received with much favor throughout Canada in that it appears to mark the turn in o-point in federal taxation. For the iirst time since the close of the world war the minister of finance finds himself in the position in which he can safely reduce taxation, and has created the hope that each year something further may be removed from the tremendous tax burden of the people. It will be conceded conditions throughout the dominion have been improving throughout the past year. This is made clear in the statement that the federal revenues exceeded the estimate by some thirty million dollars. Finance Minister Robb meets this situation by announcing a cut of approximately twenty-five millions in the taxation of the country for the current year. The greater part *pf ihe reductions will bo .^ound uijt.- the taxation of incomes. *^r Mot only has the rate of taxatioti been reduced with respect to incomes of all sizes, but the exemptions have been raised so that the average married man will cease to be called upon for income tax. Last year the married man without dependents was taxed upon all incomes in excess of $2000. For this year he will be allowed an exemption of $.'!000, with further exemptions for each dependent, so that the ordinary married wage-earner will escape the tax altogether. In the case of the unmarried wage-earner his wage exemption •is raised from $1000 to $1500, and where the married wage-earner and his wife have separate incomes they are each allowed a tax exemption of $1500. If, as has been alleged, excessive taxation has been one of the causes which forced people to leave Canada, the cause should be largely removed by the amendments which have now been made, in that the cost of liv- ing is more generally recognized in the exemptions allowed. One very obnoxious war tax has been wiped out altogether in the repeal of the receipt tax", and the sales tax. which constituted a very severe burden upon commerce, is to be removed entirely with respect to a number of articles, and the rate of taxation reduced with respect to others. Another taxation concession which it is difficult to estimate in dollars and cents is the return to the penny rate of postage on Dominion Day. With respect to the tariff the most important change is the reduction in the duties upon, all motor cars having a" retail selling value of $1200 or less. As the values for duty will probably be the United State sselhng price,, the reduction -which is a cut from 35 per cent to 20 per cent, will affect all the, low-priced cars on the Canadian market. The low-priced car is the one which has the greatest sale and interests the greater number of car users, and the cut in the duties is a concession to Western Canada, due doubtless to the influence of the Progressive wingr of the government following. It was only the makers\)f the cheaper grades of car who sought to secure the benefit of the Canadian tariff by building plants in Canada, and they will be hitjiardj^the tariff reductions, the "greater part of the disadvantage falling upon the Ontario centers in which automobile building has been developed. The protest with which the automobile tariff reductions have been received gives an idea of the growth which the business has attained. It is asserted the Canadian plants furnish employment for 22,000 men. and in addition to this the output of Canadian factories now forms one of the leading values in Canadian exports. While the Canadian makers have had notice since the last federal election that a reduction in duties was probable they will doubtless suffer a heavy loss in that the lowered duty makes an instant cut in the selling value of all cars affected, not only with respect to those on hand in the factories, but also those which are carried by their distributing agents. When word was received of the cut in the duties the Canadian factories at once suspended operations, but it is likely the majority of them will so arrange their business as to carry on. The tariff shake-up came at a bad time for them, as there was more or less weakness in the automobile industry throughout the United States, which might havo resulted in the closing of some of the Canadian plants in any event. PRINCE GEORGE SHIPPING Skipper Mike Cosgrove superintended the launching of the Miworih lerry last week. Tne launching was a complete success as far as launching go. When the stays were loosened che ferry commenced sliding into the water, and kept on sliding until it brought up on the bottom of the river. It is recorded the gallant skipper stuck to his ship to the last, and then waded ashore. The board of underwriters will •¦ investigate whether the ferry struck a rock or the skipper kit a cock open. It is conceded that bad anything of the I kind happened with the launching of j the ark Noah might have been called 1 upon to rewrite the world's history, j 1 * * * Frank Whitmore gave an inter-1 esting demonstration of the Lock-1 wood-Asli outboard motor at John- j son's lake on Tuesday afternoon to ! a large company of spectators. This ' motor has great power and performs ' fine when the canoe is well loaded. ¦ It was when the demonstrator put on a single-handed performance that the spectators got the best kick. Throwing the motor in quickly take; the stern of the canoe down and throws the bow up. Frank threw it in and made a race to the bow with tiller lines. He lost one of the lines, •!>:d gave an extra pull on the rem lining one with the result that tho cance went over and made a dive to tho bottom. Ben Baird. who was watching the proceedings on bonalf of a syndicate of summer refeortejaf says the Lockwocd-Ash motor- ,is n wow, but it struck him the demonstrator was wet In the Tea Cxip the full charm of H636 is revealed. The flavor is pure, fresh and fragrant. Try it. Black, Mixed or Green Blends. Peck & Primrose Limited Norse Crown Fresh Mackeral Reduced from 25c to 15c Large Selection Boys' Suits New stock has just arrived Have you seen our misses' hats RAW FURS Bring your Fura to me or ship them direct to me. I guarantee the highest prices obtainable. I am offering special prices for Prime Beaver and Rats. P. Pavich Third Avenue. P.O. Box 62. MUNROTheTentmaker Tents, Awnings, Canvas Goods. Your qrders solicited. 2-105 Granville St., Vancouver, B.C. P. BURNS & CO., LTD. The Shamrock Brand All Meat^ and Provisions of Highest Quality. OUR MOTTO: Service and Quality. Try a Can of SALLY ANN CLEANSER You Will Find It the Best. Telephone 7. New Day Jewett Cars Will arrive on Wednesday. Owing to the reduction in tariff a new and lower price list will be advertised next week. >/ Pidgeon & McNaughton British Columbia THE MINERAL PROVINCE OF WESTERN CANADA TO END OF DECEMBER, 1924 Hat Produced Minerals as Follows: Placer Gold ..........................................$77,382,953 Lode Gold ..............................................118,473,190 Silver .................................................... 68,824,579 Lead ...................................................... 70,548,578 Copper ..................................................187\4ft0,378 Zinc ...................................................... 32,171,497 Miscellaneous Minerals ........................ 1,431,349 Coal and Coke......................................260,880,048 Building Stone. Brick, Cement Etc..... 42,225,814 Making its Mineral Production to the end of 1924 show an AGGREGATE VALUE OF $859,427,386. PRODUCTION FOR YEAR ENDING DECEMBER, 1924, $48,704,604 The mining law,s of this Province are more liberal and the fees lower than any other province in the Dominion, or any Colony in the British Empire. Mineral locations are granted to discoverers for nominal fees. Absolute titles are obtainable by developing such properties, security of which is guaranteed by crown grants. Full information, together with mining reports and maps, may be obtained gratis by addressing N.B.—Pradtically all British Columbia Mineral Properties upon wheh development work hae been done are described in some one of the Annual Reports «f the Minister of Mines. Those considering mining investments should refer to such Reports. They are available without charge on application to the Department «f Mines. Victoria, B.C. Reports of the Geological Svrvey of Canada, Pacific Building, Vancouver, are recommended as valuable sources of information. The Honorable the Minister of Mines VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA