F. Gordon Bradley and the Great Cover-Up

Because life was so difficult for the loggers, "desertions" from the camps increased. Newfoundlanders had been taught that hard work would be rewarded. But in the lumber woods days of backbreaking labour added up to little or nothing. Finally, the situation led to a public outcry.

When Commission of Government took office in 1934 they decided to set up an inquiry into the logging business. They appointed F. Gordon Bradley to undertake this work. Bradley was a respected Newfoundlander. He had been the Leader of the Opposition in Newfoundland's last parliament before the Commission took over.

Bradley travelled all over Newfoundland. He visited many logging camps and talked to hundreds of woods workers. Some of the men were afraid to talk to Bradley. They would only come to see him at night or in secret. Even though conditions were bad, they were afraid they would never get a job again if the companies found out.

Bradley also talked with 10 of the 88 men who had been arrested. Here is what he said about them in his report:

Nine of the ten had never handled a bucksaw before; they were fishermen....The men believed they were to be paid $1.30 per day and board found. Some of these men walked fifty miles to secure a job at which they might earn a living....They were seperated in different camps. Some had fairly good timber to cut; others, from their description of it, were in scrub spruce, and clean-up chances. Several of them worked long hours and at least one Sunday. Their time varied from three to over twenty days. They could take nothing. I should have been surprised if they could [when they were paid] $1.30 to $1.43 a cord. It was an absurdity to take these men at such prices and the Company must bear responsibility for the blundering of its agent. The final result was that these men were marched through the streets as ordinary criminals, convicted, and sentenced to imprisonment, for acts arising out of a desperate plight brought upon them by the blundering of others.¹⁰