Naranjan Grewall fights Corruption..

Forest licence system tainted by corruption
By Ken Herar,
Second of a four part series into the forestry crisis of the 1950s that faced the province.Forestry is BC's major industry and employs thousands of jobs around the province. Over the decades it has faced many challenging times due to BC's political environment. An example of this is the softwood lumber crisis between Canada and the US.As we will see, the forest industry has been hit with many domestic controversies that have stood the test of time when it comes to shaping public policy in this province. One its more notable stories is that of former BC Forest Minister Bob Sommers and the scandal that would follow in political history known as the "Sommers Scandal".Sommers was a former schoolteacher who ran in the 1952 provincial election and later became a minister of forest in WAC Bennett government. During his tenure in public office his nickname was "Honest Bob". It would come apparent to Sommers early that he would be a small fish in a big pond with many ruthless players that would eventually destroy his political career.Under the Forest Management License system, which was introduced in 1948, large companies were given cutting rights to substantial areas of provincial crown land. The forest service recognized it could not manage the whole forest on its own, but it could liaise with the large companies to ensure the job was being done properly.It was Sommers' responsibility to encourage or reject new FML applications from larger companies. Sommers controlled a process that brought more money into the province and provided more jobs and more taxes for provincial coffers that any other. Companies could rise or fall on his recommendations, and millions of dollars in the value of a companies shares were at stake each time a license was approved or rejected.What would become apparent is the door could be left open for manipulation; special deals could be arranged for old friends, party coffers filled when the need arose and under the table arrangements accommodated.Many of the large companies were getting licenses and the small logger was told either by the big companies or by the forest services where to cut, when to cut and how much to cut. Loss of a cutting contract with a big firm could put a small operator out of business. The big companies held the balance of power and the system was wide open to payoffs and special favours.Bennett knew there were some major power brokers in the lumber industry fighting for there share in the woods and he appointed a royal commission to take another look at the system and put to rest rumours that "money talked". Justice Gordon Sloan was appointed to head the first commission which he did in 1944 and brought down a report in 1948 outlining his major concerns in the industry. That would fall short he would be needed again in 1955 to address the on going issues of small companies.This crisis created a civil movement in this province like no other. Naranjan Grewall, the former mayor of Mission City and CCF candidate for the Dewdney riding, appeared before the Sloan Commission and stated that the previous government had "broken faith" with the public in forest administration. He stated the license was granted to Clayburn Brick and Tile of which former premier Byron Johnson was a major shareholder while in office. Grewall termed the present holders of forest management licences "timber maharajahs."He stated the system would revert to a form of feudalism which I left 30 years ago (1955). Grewall stated that if management licences remained in effect Chief Justice Sloan would be sitting again in another 10 years on another forestry commission. Grewall added, " I will come back here to say I told you so"."Please don't wish another commission on me in 10 years," replied the chief justice, smiling.There continued to be a cloud over Sommers - was he receiving money in exchange for licences? Sommers would later resign from cabinet in 1956 and sit as an independent in the legislature.In early 1958 detailed counts of conspiracy and 50 charges involving the giving and receiving of bribes were laid against Sommers and his associates with six different companies. Sommers described the money he received as personal loans and were to be paid back in time with no strings attached. The trial was long and difficult it dealt with 1,060 exhibits presented over 73 sitting days. Many of the bank account documents went missing and some were paid off by unknown sources before the trial.The jury had found Sommers guilty of five bribery counts and Wick Gray of eight counts. Both men were sentenced to five years in jail and were paroled after two and half years. Sommers still to this day is the only Crown official in the British Commonwealth to serve time in jail. After he was released from jail, Sommers still maintained his innocence. In an interview, Sommers stated he wanted to be tried alone. "I know what I did and I don't know what anyone else did. I got the big double cross," Sommers told the reporters.Sommers publicly revealed that Premier Bennett offered to testify at his trial. Bennett would have stated that an FML was granted by cabinet and not solely by the forest minister. This practice was not spelled out in writing in any government document, but it was the process at that time.The original report of Justice Sloan took two and half years of hearing regarding the forestry industry in an 888 page document. He stated the government's lack of any clear procedure for granting licences. Sloan said regulations should be drafted that would ensure licences were granted on an "equal basis". An old colleague reflecting back said it was simply the brutality of politics that brought Sommers down - he was the fall guy and there were many more!
KenHerar@gmail.com