R.H.A. Put Pressure on Members
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BY A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT CONTROVERSY has been caused by a new method now being used by
• –' the Road Haulage Association to obtain subscriptions from members to the publicity fund. On the instructions of the National Council, who were not unanimous in their agreement, area secretaries are sending each member a "statement "—the word " invoice " is unpopular at headquarters —debiting him with a contribution to the fund equal to his annual subscription to the Association.
This decisive step, which has caused offence in some quarters, has been taken because the response to the appeal for voluntary contributions has been poor. A sum exceeding £40,000, including £20,000 from headquarters funds, has so far been obtained, but it falls far short of the target of 120,000.
The justification for the " statement " is that funds are urgently required. The publicity campaign is phased in three parts and, subject to the approval of the National Executive Committee next week, is due to start on March 1. The basic scheme consists of Press advertising to industrial executives, and the money at present available is no more than adequate to launch it.
The second phase is due to begin a month or two later and will include media other than the Press and widen the appeal. When the funds available for the campaign are known, members will be given further details and will be told precisely how their money will be spent.
Although the R.H.A. have consulted other bodies on policy in promoting the campaign, they have not asked for 830 financial aid. With little more than £11 a head subscribed by their own 17,000 members, they are hardly in a position to seek outside assistance.
Indirectly linked to the publicity campaign are two trial surveys of the ramifications and activities of the road haulage industry which the R.H:A. have conducted. The first was made in the Northern Area, but I understand that it yielded little that could be used in national propaganda.
The second was of long distance haulage, On the basis of figures published by British Road Services it revealed that free-enterprise long-distance operators carried twice as much and travelled twice as far as B.R.S.
Results of these surveys will not be published, but they may be of some use in the publicity campaign.