The Outlook for 1943
Page 21
Page 22
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
MO-DAY Marks the begin' fling of a new year and one Which we all hope, and trust, will see the victory of the United Nations, or, at least, bring us within a reasonable distance of the complete defeat of our enemies. As General Smuts recently. pointed out, their collapse may be surprisingly sudden, but nobody can yet prophesy whether it will be as a whole or in sections.
So far as our side of industry is concerned, we must bear in mind throughout the year the inspiring message from-Lord Leathers, and each play his part to the best of his ability. There is little doubt that transport. in all its forms is one of the most vital keys which can unlock the portals of Hitler's many fortresses and which will enable our Armed Forces to swarm into his innermost defences. Road transport has already performed remarkable feats in many areas of warfare, ranging from almost Arctic regions to the tropics. It is certain that it . will be called upon to carry Out even greater tasks. . In Britain at the Present time we can do .little more than view the war in perspective, but every lorry and van carrying essential goods, and bus or coach conveying War workers, is bearing its share in the war effort.
It would appear that this year will be one of reorganization and conservation in transport by • road. We must not be' too prodigal in the use of vehicles; otherwise, rubber and fuel will be wasted; but, at the same time, production must not be allowed to be impaired by lack of transport facilities or delays inevitably ensuing therefrom.
Government Scheme a Vital Factor The growing of the first fruits of the new GoVernment Scheme for long-distanee road haulage will be watched with the greatest interest to see if there will be any worms at the core, or whether fhey will prove sound when they ripen. It will probably be some months before the effects will show themselves to any major degree, and then, following the experience gained, will come the question of the advisability or not of extending the scope of the Scheme to cover a ,lower mileage radius.
In respect of the organization of the industry' itself, the year may witness several alterations, pos sibly of an important nature. Some leaders may fall and other a arise—We must be forgiven if, in saying this, our wards appear something like a quotation from " Old Moore." Some existing associations are being faced with what is almost akin to rebellion amongst many of their members, and they are -striving frantically to adjust themselves to the new circumstances. How successful they will be in this endeavour cannot be foreseen. It may be that they will be too late, and that more vigorous elements, imbued with fresh blood, may dirt their light, so that the present marshal; of the transport army may have to hand over their batons to others.
Vehicles and Men Must be Ready The prospects of invasion appear to have receded, but we must never forget that if Britain be largely denuded of troops to provide yet another front, advantage might be taken of this, at .least to endeavour to land a force here or' to send harassing contingents by air, in either, of which cases, large numbers of motor vehicles of all types would be required at short notice.
No doubt the Government had this partly in mind when it instituted the idea for its new fleet of vehicles and decided that those included in it which might not be employed should be maintained in full service order, ready for instant use It is also at present engaged in devising ways" in which a reserve of drivers can be kept usefully employed in-other directions and yet readily available for any time of emergency.
The ancillary operator is, at the moment, feeling sornewhat bewildered it the course of events and is wondering how he and his vehicles may be affected. It has already been announced that this class of user may lose, at least part of his long-distance work, but 'the amount thus concerned will no doubt depend upon the way in which the remainder of the.scheme progresses, and whether the vehicles in active operation in it will eventually 'prove to possess the necessary additional capacity. , So far as we know, it does not seem' that any decision has been arrived at to take over the actual vehicles .employed by C licensees, &though, no doubt this would be done if, after the adjustment of traffics, they prove to be redundant. The various grouping schemes in retail distribution have already had a considerable effect in this direction, and there is a great probability that the system will be carried farther, and thus the redundancy of vehicles will be cumulative.
The most vital problem which has arisen in connection with the employment of road transport is certainly the maintaining of the supply of an adequate number of tyres. Consequently, economy in their use is the keynote, and must remain so for a considerable time to come. We cannot hope to obtain supplies of synthetic rubber for, at even a conservative estimate, many months, and then not on a scale which will be likely to meet other than our most urgent requirements. It must be borne in mind that the consumption of rubber in various forms by our Armed Forces must necessarily remain at a comparatively high level, and we must be prepared to suffer even dirt inconvenience rather than permit their mobility to be impaired.