wi € Page Six THE B.C. 6 LUMBER WORKER August 9, 1943 U.S. Survey Shows Huge Timber Loss From Fire Forest fires last year burned over a total of 31,854,124 acres of United States woodlands, compared with 26,404,385 acres in 1941, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced. The total number of fires in the first war year was 208,218, an increase of 8,516 over 1941. These fires destroyed forest re- sourees of critical importance in the war drive, and the diversion of men to fire-fighting necessitated ‘by outbreaks constituted a serious drain on man power that could otherwise be utilized on war pro- duction, the forest service points out. Of the 31 million acres burned in 1942, 90 percent was in 11 southern states. Acreage loss by regions was: eastern states, 1,362,894; southern, 28,531,119; north central, 1,123,421; Rocky Mountain, 263,221; and Pa- cific, 573,469, A sharp rise in the number of incendiary forest fires occurred during the year. Nearly one-third of the forest fires reported on pro- tected lands were of incendiary origin—12 percent more than the number of incendiary fires during the preceding year. A large per- centage of the incendiary fires re- sult from traditional but misguided woodsburning practices in the south, The number of fires for which smokers were responsible ranked second only to those of an incendiary nature. Careless brush and bebris burning was third m importance as a cause of forest fires, More than 136 million acres of forest land still lack organized pro- tection against forest fires, the for- est service reported. This is ap- proximately one-fourth of the total area classed as needing protection. Highty-six percent of the total acre- age burned last year was on this unprotected area. Hastings Steam Baths 764 EAST HASTINGS ST. Government Registered Masseurs in Attendance J. WEPSALA, Prop. Also Agent for... Norwegian and Swedish American Steamship Lines High. 6240 ALWAYS OPEN t Meet Your Friends at MANITOBA HOTEL 44 West Cordova St. Outside Rooms — Elevator Serv- ice — Steam Heat — Reasonable Rates — Centrally Located PA. 0267 _N. J. Thompson, Mgr. PALACE CAFE @ 47 West Cordova Street @ 933 Granville Street A Satisfied Customer is Our Best Advertisement, 100% UNION HOUSE "Styles for Young Men and Men who Stay Young” The number of fires by causes on protected lands was as follows: lightning, 6,707; railroads, 5,220; campers, 3,398; smokers, 18,248; debris burning, 13,9: incendiary, 26,571; lumbering, 1,386; miscella- neus, 6,753; unknown, 36,762. Com- plete figures for unprotected areas are not available, Although the total monetary damage reported amounted to near- ly $45,000,000, foresters point. out there is no way of obtaining accur- ate estimates of damage on unpro- tected lands, and in many cases the damage figures for unprotect- ed areas are arbitrarily set at a nominal $1 an acre. Aside from commercial timber destroyed by fire, the trees surviving are often so weakened that decay and insect injury quickly follow. The largest damage—not includ- ed in the figure reported — was probably to the young growth and reproduction needed for future timber crops and for food and for- age plants required by big game animels and other wildlife and live- stock; as well as to the porous duff of the forest floor, with con- sequent reduction of the water- holding capacity of soils and wat- ersheds, and thus increased soil erosion and flood danger. Adverse weather conditions in some areas, and loss of experienced fire-fighter manpower were among the principal factors accounting for the damage. Continued BULLCOOK pressed and denied due recogni- tion. We are fighting to destroy fas- cism not embrace it, so in the words of the immortal Lincoln; “Tt is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfin- ished work which those who fought “there” have so far nobly advanced, that the honored dead, we take in- creased devotion to that cause, for which they gave the last full meas- ure of devotion—that we here high- ly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Moderate 444 Carrall Street Hotel West Ltd. FRED BR. MARCHESE, Mgr. Centrally Located PAc. 8374 — Island Film Circuit Ernie Belton, National Film Board travelling projectionist, has just completed his first round of the camps and mills on the Vancouver Island monthly circuit. He reports that recep- tion everywhere has been excellent, and depends on those of you who saw the films to tell your friends, so that everyone can benefit from these well balanced film programs which are put on for your benefit by a joint sponsorship of the Trades and Labor Congress, the Canadian Congress of Labor, the Workers’ Educational Association and the National Film Board. Featured on the program commencing August 16 is Freigh- ters Under Fire, a dramatic episode between a German U-boat and a cargo vessel in conyoy. SCHEDULE FIRST TWO WEEKS Monday, August 16.—Paldi, 12 noon, Community Hall; Youbou, 7:10 p.m., in the mill; 8:15 p.m., Comniunity Hall. Tuesday, August 17.—Hillcrest, 12:25 noon, Cookhouse; Cowichan Lake, 8:00 p.m., Community Hall. Wednesday, August 18.—Youbou, Camp 6, evening. Thursday, August 19.—Youbou, Camp 3, afternoon and evening. Friday, August 20.—Rounds, evening, Cookhouse. Sunday, August 22.—Cumberland, 8:00 p.m., Community Hall. : Monday, August 23.—Union Bay, evening, Community Hall. Tuesday, August 24—Oyster River, evening, Blue Grouse; Bar B.Q. Hall. Wednesday, August 25.—Bloedel, Menziés Bay Camp, eve- ning. Thursday, August 26.—Elk River, Camp 8, evening. Friday, August 27.—Elk River, Camp 9, evering. Saturday, August 28.—Campbell River, 8:00 p.m., Com- munity Hall. Before the meeting adjourned, Mr. Korner, manager, came in and spoke briefly on efforts the com- pany has made and will continue to make in co-operating with their crew. Report Meeting At Jones Creek The crew at Jones Creek, B.C., held a meeting on Thursday Thurs- day, July 15, for the purpose of or- ganizing into the IWA. The meet- ing took place in the camp at 5 p.m. before those workers who live in the vicinity went home. Brother Birt Tebbut introduced Interna- tional Organizer Jack Greenall, who spoke on organization of wood- workers in B.C. - A camp committee was then|j elected and instructed by a unani-|] | 1 By middle of November, 1942, Britain had sent to Russia equip- ment for 20 armored divisions on the German scale. 9 = P. L. GiLL — Optometrist Graduate of College of Optometry,, Toronto Telephone 625 80 Government St. DUNCAN mous vite to finish signing up the crew. Committee member elected were: Birt Tebbut, Birth Smith, Charlie Shields, Bob Caul, Carl Israel and Otto Nylander. New Westminster STEAM BATHS H - 40 Lorne’ Street 1 NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. | Across from Court House 1 Open Wed. to Sat. 10 am. to 10} I pm. Oil and Blectric Massage. I Tel. 2264 Owner, M. Varila I 4.95 6.95 Rates and PAc. 8375 Vancouver, B.C. 45 East Hastings St. Two-tone Sharkslins — Plain and Poplins — 3 Button Tweeds in Plaids and Overchecks. WARTIME BOOKS WIDELY READ Interest shown by Canadians and Americans in books specifically concerned with the war and politi- cal problems was reflected in a re- cent announcement of the Coun- cil on Books in Wartime, which has recommended a new list of fifteen books for wartime reading. Included in the list are: “A Time for Greatness,” by Herbert Agar; “Appeasement’s Child,” by Thomas J. Hamilton; “I Served on Bataan,’ by Lt. Juanita Redmond; “One World,” by Wendell Willkie; “The English People,” by Dr. W. Bro- gran, and “We Cannot Escape His- tory,” by John C. Whitaker. The phenomenal sale of Earl Browder's “Victory and After” has made it necessary to reprint. The new edition, it is expected, will add another two million readers to the one million Americans who read it in the first printing. Twenty’ thousand tons of iron and steel, 500 tons of aluminum and 250 tons of -sheet aluminum will be released for industrial pur- poses by the decision of the Brit- ish Ministry of Works to break up a quarter of a million disused mo- tor cars and other vehicles. NOTICE If Sam Mitchell will get in touch with IWA Local 1-71, 204 Holden Building, he will benefit materially. When in VANCOUVER Stop at COLUMBIA HOTEL j LICENSED PREMISES 303 Columbia Avenue MAr. 3757 — © Home of Union Made Clothing and Friendly Service © SPORT SLACKS - and PANTS ... STYLES — VALUES and QUALITY for everyone in Worsted — Tweeds — Serges — Gaberdines and Tropicals. 6.95 9.95 JACKETS and Reversible Gaberdines 8.95 19.50 COMPLETE STOCK OF WORK CLOTHINGS Vancouver, B.C.