Compliments of

THE ISLAND GRILL

P. W. DYDE, Manager

Duncan British Columbia

When passing through Chemainus, stop at

McBRIDE’S
Service Station

Wrecking Service Standard Oil

Phone 436

For Good Food and a Comfortable Bed,
Stay at

Camp Boarding House

Lake Cowichan

$9.45 per week

When on Vancouver Island, Make Your
Headquarters at

THE LORNE HOTEL

COMOX

M. G. FAIRBAIRN, Proprietor

CAPITOL THEATRE

Duncan
G. G. Baiss, Manager
ALL THE BIG PICTURES

The Best Sound and Acoustics on Vancouver
Island. Comfortable Seats.

Matinees Wednesdays and Saturdays
Evenings, 7 and 9 p.m.
Telephone 11

P.O. Box 174

COWICHAN BRANCH
No. (B.C.) 53
Canadian Legion (B.E.S.L.)

DUNCAN

We extend a cordial invitation to all Legion
members to visit us when in the
Cowichan district.

WELL EQUIPPED CLUB ROOM
Open from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

FISHERMEN’S LODGE

OYSTER RIVER, VANCOUVER ISLAND
Our Motto: ‘Just Like Home”

PERCY ELSEY, Proprietor

Page Fifty

motorcycles and trailers, are in charge of
Miss D. Phillip.

An important division of the office is that
which keeps records of deals under the Bills
of Sale and Conditional Sales Acts, which
is in charge of Constable R. Hadfield. Ser-
geant H. H. Clarke is in charge of mail
issuance.

Nobody likes statistics and much less does
anyone, as a rule, have any desire to com-
pile them. They might be described as a
necessary evil, however, and when you see
the data compiled for statistical purposes by
the Provincial Police it gives you the im-
pression that someone must like the job.

That someone, you find on further in-
vestigation, is probably Inspector Hood.

From data which his office compiles he
has in his private office graphs, charts and
records which at a moment's notice can pro-
vide a questioner with almost any compara-
tive figures about motor vehicles he might
desire to know.

ASSISTANCE TO GOVERNMENT
The Motor Record Office might be aptly

described as the nerve centre from which
emanate British Columbia’s driving regula-
tions. Here one can study every phase of
trafhec and one of the main values of the
ofhce—in addition to the compilation of sta-
tistics—is the fact that it offers to govern-
ment officials all possible data they might
require in considering Motor Vehicle Act
changes.

Accidents, their cause and prevention,
are one of the major studies of Inspector
Hood and his department. As monthly re-
turns are compiled they are thoroughly
analysed and from these analyses come the
new motoring laws of the country.

Every time a driver has a conviction in
police court under the Motor Vehicle Act
registered against him, the Motor Record
Office knows about it. Every time his car
is involved in an accident, the office is noti

fied.

These records are kept and constantly
checked, and often are the means of proving
certain individual drivers are unfit to sit be-
hind steering wheels. Records of financial
responsibility are also filed.

FRIENDLY ADVICE SAVES ACCIDENTS

An interesting check-up in two cases
where drivers were repeatedly becoming in-
volved in accidents was recounted recently.

Both men were interviewed by Provincial
Police and it was found their eyesight was
failing. They were not aware of the extent
of their affliction and the way in which it
was endangering not only their lives but the
lives of thousands of other motorists.

Both drivers were advised to have their
eyes examined—advice which they took in
appreciative manner—and neither has been
in an accident since.

Forewarned is forearmed, and if the
Motor Record Office did nothing more than
this, its existence would be justified.

But, as pointed out above, it does more
than this and has truly become one of the
most valuable and most efficient branches
of the force, serving not only the Provincial
Police but every city or municipal force that
will take advantage of the co-operation it
offers.

EME MUFRAY

LAS HA with s
% Sfucnnnan4928, a

“Soapy” Smith’s Skull

A notorious bandit, robbing and killing during
the gold rush of the 90's. He finally was cor-
nered and killed by a vigilante guard at Skagway.
So grateful were the citizens of Skagway that a
monument was erected in honour of the guard
and marked “The Man Who Saved Skagway.”
This representation was painted upon the rocks.
Photographed July, 1934.

“SOAPY” SMITH will be remembered by
old-timers for his operations in British Col-
umbia and Washington before migrating to
Alaska. He was a bad actor and bunco
steerer. The trick which gave him his name
was a bunco soap game.

He would stand on a box in the street or
on a platform in a gambling den and right
before the eyes of his onlookers he would
apparently place a one dollar bill (occa-
sionally it would be a $5 or $10) inside of
a package with a small bar of soap, wrap it
very carefully and deliberately so that ap-
parently every movement could be seen by
everyone, and throw it into a box containing
more packages of soap in front of him. To
the chagrin of the suckers or buyers, they
would discover, upon opening the package,
that the money was not there, and they had
each paid $1 for a ten-cent bar of soap.

SoLD A TowNsITE

In Skagway he and his gang ruled the
town by terror for several months. They
sold lots to which they had no title. Before
any action could be taken, they had sold a
large portion of the townsite and pocketed
the money. When the purchasers investi-
gated they found they had no title. The
citizens became angry and a vigilante com-
mittee was formed which ended his colour-
ful career.

THE SHOULDER STRAP