50th
ANNIVERSARY
ISSUE

Vol. 51 No. 4 PUBLISHED IN VANCOUVER, B.C. SINCE 1931 ein: ISSN 0049-7371 SPRING ISSUE, 1984

The Lumberworker was first published as a mimeograph,
probably in 1929, by a hardy band of Workers’ Unity League
(the Canadian Communist Party’s trade union organization)
organizers: Arne Johnson, Martin and Carl Palmgren, Jack Gill-
banks, Glen Lamont, Hjalmar Bergren, Ted Gunerad, to name a
few.

The publishing was of course sporadic at first, depending on
having a few dollars for paper, on who was in town, who was in
camp. It became quite regular during the summer and fall of
1931, preparing for and conducting the Fraser Mills strike, then
irregular again until January of 1934, when it began a program of
intense support for the loggers’ strike of that winter and spring.

- Few of today’s members would support their political party,
fewer still would accept the rigorous line of authority from
international political party to Third International to Workers’
Unity League to Union to rank and file.

But no one can fail to recognize the great courage, purpose
and integrity that went into the founding of our Union and our
Lumberworker. We dedicate this issue to the founders of our
Union, of many political persuasions, who had these qualities in
such abundance.

Almost any time in the thirties could be selected as the 50th

During the 1934 strike, many loggers from the vicinity lived Pee a ies Weals just anniversary of the Lumberworker. We have selected this issue
‘outside of Campbell River. ae because it also marks the anniversary of one of the great strikes
| in our history (see photos). ,
NEXT ISSUE: THE 1934 LOGGERS’ STRIKE

B.C.’s FORESTS
IN CRISIS

A sensational report prepared by Federal forestry researchers as background for Federal-
Provincial negotiations re the renewal of the cost-sharing agreement on reforestation programs
details the abysmal state of the resource that sustains the B.C. economy.

THE GRIM FACTS :

About 2 million acres of B.C. forest land are “N.S.R.” (not satisfactorily restocked).

At least 1,600,000 of those are classified as “good” or “medium” sites.

For districtuion, see table below.

TOTAL ACTUAL NSR (Backlog, Current, NC Brush) — HECTARES
(For acres, multiply hectare figure by 2.47)

Region Site Class : i
Good Medium Poor Low Total
Vancouver 5,317 16,100 3,544 39 25,000
Prince Rupert 5,115 27,740 © 80,825 28,020 141,700
Prince George . 80,835 367,915 230,045 11,925 640,720
Kamloops 7,870 31,720 15,525 185, 55,300
Nelson . 12,465 91,545 50,980 2,110 157,100
Cariboo 13,510 34,420 26,595 875 75,400
TOTAL 75,112 569,440 407,514 43,154 — 1,095,220

Continued on page 2