Beet Tonnage Up By 25 Per Cent.
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SCHEDULE OTFAFTESI FOR SUGAR Road Transport's Share
BEET, 1941.
Mr. J. H. Stirk Gives Imposing Figures at Nottingham Meeting of Hauliers, Farmers -and Government Departments Interested. Labour Shortage Likely to be a . Problem
WRE I in the habit of keeping a diary, after the yle of the famous Pepys, the record for Tuesday morning ' of last week would be: 'Considerably disgruntled at being roused from my bed at an early hour, to answer the telephone, and then dismayed-with prospects of the plans for that day's work gone awryat being asked to proceed forthwith to Nottingham, which I did after a hasty bath, shave, breakfast, and a scramble to my office to collect certain essential papers, only just catching the train by the skin of my teeth."
The message was from Mr. Jesse Hind, well known as the secretary of the Lincolnshire Transport Association. It was to the effect that a meeting was to be held that day, in Nottingham, at which all interested parties were to be present to discuss rates and other details in connection with the forthcoming sugar-beet campaign. Mt. J. H.
Stirk, Regional Transport Commissioner, North Midland Area, was to preside.
" 0.M." Costs Figures Ready for Use
He added that his party would like my presence and possible assistance and asked me to bring with me a copy of the current issue of" The Commercial Motor" as the article therein, dealing with cost increases, might possibly be found of service. I was to arrive at the place of meeting half an hour before time, so that we could have a preliminary chat.
Everything went according to plan in so far as I arrived .0 40 minutes before time, and was followed into the room almost immediately by Mr. Hind, Mr. Goy of Scunthorpe, Mr. Forman Of Branson (LIncoln), Mr. Clixby of Blyton, Mr. Battley of 'Spalding, and several other friends of mine whose names have escaped my memory, for which lapse I hope they will accept my apologies.
I observed, at once, that Mr. Hind was adhering to the plan, inaugurated just prior to the previous sugar-beet campaign, of co-operating with all associations concernede His Own Association, A.R.O. and C.M.U.A., . were all represented at this initial gathering.
It was proposed, according to Mr. Hind, to ask for the continued application of the rates which were in force during last year's campaign.. These are reproduced in Table I.
I recalled that I was present in Lincolnshire when those rates were agreed and reminded Mr. Hind that, in my opinion, those for the longer distances were insufficient. He agreed with me on that point but, nevertheless, stated that they preferred to adhere to the resolution, especially having in mind the fact that longer hauls were comparatively few and the interest therein was limited.
A discussion on railway rates followed and it was disclosed that for a 10-mile haul by rail it was 3s. 5d. as agaiest Os. ad. by road; for 14 miles, 4s. Id. as against 7s. 10d.; for 18 miles, 4s. 7d. as against 8s. 8d.; for 20 miles, 5s. as against 9s. 5d.; for 24 miles, 5s. 3d. as against 10s. 3d.; for 27 miles, 5s. 5d. as against us. 2d.; 1or-30 miles, 5s. 9d. as against 12s.; and for 32 miles, 6s. as against 12s. 10d. Even with the addition of 3s. 6d. „for cartage to station these rates, especially for. longer leads, were much lower than by road, As against this it had to be recalled that road was at a disadvantage as compared with rail, first, because of the delays which road-transport operators suffered at delivery points, secondly, because of the much higher labour chafgei which arose in connection with the use of road .transport, and thirdly (enhancing the effect of high labour charges), the fact that road operators are now having to employ inexperienced drivers and labourers. '
I then raised the point that rates this year were likely to be governed by the regulation introduced in April, which limited increases in haulage rates to 7/ per cent, above those prevailing in October, 1940. The respqnse to that brought forth a reference to the article in tie issue of "The Commercial Motor" dated August 7, in which the subject for increases in costs wai discussed. My rejoinder was that no such figures could be taken into consideration by the Commissioner who must inevitably, as explained in that article, ask for actual data from individual operators before he could come to any decisions as to the fairness of any rates increase.
Mr. Goy then broke in with the remark that there would be no difficulty in proving much more than a 71 per cent. increase, especially in the Eastern Area, from which most of those present had come.
It would not be politic to disclose all the points that Mr. Goy raised; two, however, can be disclosed. First, that every haulier in the controlled area Must now pay retail price for his petrol. Secondly, that the imposition of tyre control has increased the cost of tyres, to the owners of upwards of three vehicles, by 15 to 30 per cent., because discounts for commercial users are now abolished. Operators must 'pay full list prices and, moreover, pay cash, and are thus deprived of the discount for prompt • . settlement.
Problem of Rates for Sugar Beet
At this point the conversation was given an interesting turn when Mr. Sabatini joined us; as is widely known, he is. the transport officer of the National Farmers' Union. He and I have crossed swords on many occasions when discussing this question of rates for sugar beet. He made a particularly interesting announcement that when the question of rates was brought forward he proposed to ask for adjournment of that discussion, as it was hoped that a national agreement on rates for sugar beet would be reached at an early date. When I recalled the disappointing results which followed some energetic efforts to that end a couple of years ago, Mr. Sabatini replied that conditions were much more favourable and that with whole-hearted co-operation on the haulage side he had good hopes of achievement.
Mr. J. H. Stick then arrived, but before opening the meeting he introduced Lieut.-Col. Bradwell, who, he said, was now his deputy and would shortly be better known to members of the road-transport industry and others concerned. ' • Mr. Stirk was addressing a full house and I learned that besides representatives of the associations named above there were also those 'who spoke for the factories, the L.N.E.R. and the L.M.S., the N.F.U., the Ministry of Labour, the War,Agricultural Committees and the Ministry of Mines.
Mr. Stirk first called for figures for the tonnage of sugar beet which is expected to be taken into six factories in the Eastern Area during the forthcoming campaign. The figures are impressive. They show that the total tonnage of beet with which these factories will deal is approximately 25 per cent, greater than it was during last year's campaign A minor bombshell was thrown when Mr. Stirk declared that there was to be no discussion of rates. The conditions, he said, were now very different from what they had previously been, inasmuch as he was now called upon to deal with only questions of rates on a complaint from a customer that he was being overcharged, that procedure being in accordance with a regulation which had come into force since the end of the previous campaign.
Apportioning Traffic Between Road and Rail He next gave consideration to the allocation of traffic, as between road and rail, and reminded us that in 1940 it was laid down that no sugar beet should be transported by road beyond a radius of 20 miles from the factory to which it was being hauled.
He asked Mr. Scott, the Sugar Beet Corporation representative, who had given the figures for tonnage, on what basis those figures had been calculated. Mr. Scott's reply was that they were assessed on the understanding, that sugar beet should be brought in by road from a radius of up to 25 miles.
Mr. Stirk accepted that as reasonable, but,'in answer to questions, stated that it could be regarded as being a general principle to which exceptions might be made, provided justifications were brought forward. That is to say, if there were reasons to prove that it was better to• bring beet by road, even if the distance were more than 25 miles, that would be permitted.
The question then arose, in view of the considerable increase in tonnage and the shortage of transport facilities, as to the extent to which the factories were prepared to lengthen the period during which they would accept sugar beet. The answer was that the season was to be lengthened from the normal period of 80 days to 110 days, but a good deal depended on the extent to which farmers were able or willing to lift the beet during the early days.
Certain agricultural aspects of this particular matter were then discussed and it was disclosed that one factory was opening for the reception of sugar beet on September 20 and all the others on September 28. To encourage farmers to send their sugar beet at and immediately following those dates, free loading, that is to say. loading of beet without permits, was to be encouraged. It was announced by one of the members of the N.F.U. to be likely that much more beet would be hauled by farmers themselves this year, tractors and trailers being used.
A discussion on how to speed up unloading at the factories brought forward at least one interesting suggestion. 'Operators present disclosed that there was a difficulty in persuading drivers to unload manually at those factories where Elias were in operation.
One suggestion to meet this was that the haulage industry, like the farming industry, should have its representative at the factory, and that he should be paid by operators. His duties would be to check the work of the drivers, and take such steps as were open to him to ensure that delays of that kind did not take place.
Another related to the 3d. per ton which hauliers may claim if, as is most likely to happen this year, the factories
are unable. to give assistance in unloading. It was suggested that the 3d. per ton be given to the driver who unloaded' manually, a check on this' being afforded by stamping the ticket with the letter H to indicate that the wagon had been unloaded by hand.
On the face of it, the second plan seemed the better one and met with, the approval of the majority. Several hauliers, however, had doubts, inasmuch as they said it would create disaffection amongst their employees as it would result in one man, owing to favourable circumstances, earning more than another.
Seeking Further Deferment for Drivers Of considerable importance to all operators was the discussion of the labour problem. It was disclosed that many drivers will have their period of deferment ter minated early in the sugar-beet campaign. After some discussion the following plan to ensure that further deferment be given was agreed. The haulage associations represented are to circularize their members, urging them to make further applications on NS/360 for deferment on the grounds that the man will be engaged on the haulage .of sugar beet, impressing the authorities with the fact that these representations must be made with all speed so that further deferment may be obtained. In the event of the Man-power Board turning down any such application it should be referred at once to Mr. Stirk.
Having in mind the fact that not all hauliers are members of associations and that the need for action might thus be overlodked, the sugar-beet-factory managements undertook to pass this information on to sugar-beet hauliers. The N.F.U. also agreed to take what steps it could to give publicity to the subject.
One more point of importance. If there be a shortage of haulage facilities the Army and the R.A.F. will be asked' to help to clear the harvest.