Railways Stole the Traffic ? "
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THE Yorkshire Licensing Authority, Mr: J. Farndale, had before him on Monday last, at Leeds, an application in which a haulier said he had lost cattle-food traffic owing to railway rate-cutting. It was opposed by the L.N.E. and L.M.S. Railways, on the ground that the applicant had changed the character of his business by carrying timber.
The applicant was Mr. R. Jefferies, of Ben Rhydding, Ilkley, who asked for the re-grant of an A licence in respect of three vehicles.
Mr. F. G. Bibbings, Yorkshire Area secretary, A.R.O., who appeared for the applicant, said that the latter had lost the cattle-food traffic to the railway companies last winter, in the previous August he had been approached by a Silsden firm to carry timber for them, and now two of his vehicles were fully occupied in that work.
Mr. E. A. Boothroyd, cross-examining Mr. Jefferies for the railway companies, asked: " You don't maintain the position now that the railway companies stole the cattle-food traffic from you?" Mr. Jefferies: ' They reduced their rates and got the work."
Mr. Boothroyd: "Did you not think you would not mind losing the cattlefood traffic, if you could get a footing in the round-timber traffic? "
Mr. Jefleries: " I had kept a wagon available for the cattle-food traffic."
Mr. Boothroyd: "Would you have preferred to carry the cattle food? "
Mr. Jefferies: "At my own rate, I thilik I would."
Mr. Robert .Green, a member of the Silsden firm of timber merchants, stated: " The railway companies have never been able to provide the facilities we require to carry timber from the plantations."
Mr. Bibbings said he was not criticizing the railway for its success in obtaining the cattle-food traffic from Mr. Jefferies. But he challenged the argument that this having happened the only thing for Mr. Jefferies to do was to keep his vehicles in the garage until such time as he got the traffic back.
The Licensing Authority reserved his decision.