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Rough or Smooth Road for Transport?

24th August 1945, Page 35
24th August 1945
Page 35
Page 35, 24th August 1945 — Rough or Smooth Road for Transport?
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

It is Vital to the Haulage Industry to Probe Beyond Doubt That it is Fully Capable of Undertaking the Management of Its Own Affairs

By "Tantalus"

THE arduous road leadirig from war to peace has ueen traversed successfully The task has been accomplished and complete victory won. The road, however, was long and tortuous, and along it lies a trail ol human wreckage on a scale never previously recorded. Throughout, sacrifices and. hardships were borne With an endurance and patience of the hiVest order. The dogged determination to conquer' all difficulties and the relentless vigour with which the war was prosecuted have gained• well-merited reward

During the past six years the sustaining quality of hope has been the mainstay and power which have fortified tte community to endure the trials and dangers of total warfare. ft was hope which nourished the belief that, when the day of peace at last dawned, privations and hardships no longer would be everyday experiences; that, in fact, the heralding of victory would render life less difficult And irksome restrictions would be withdrawn. In many respects, however, life has become even more difficult since VE-Day, and official spokesmen of the Government hold out little encouragement of an early change. They proclaim that the road to the future will be no less -hard than that now left behind. The Prime Minister has 'painted a sombre picture of the difficulties which lie ahead, and offers little prospect of early relief, The battlefield has shifted, No longer is it in the plains or over the mounfains of Europe or in the jungles of tie East.'" It is actually here on' the home front, and, at this stage, it would be well to remember that the hardest battle of all is that to be fought after vietory has been won. The Nation is now skirmishing'in the battle of recovery end reconstruction. There are grave shortages of food, clothing, footwear, and many ,other essential commodities. Road goods and passenger services lag far behind the needs of the community. If the increase of only 25 per cent, in the basic petrol ration be any guide upon which the hopes of the future might be based, then the outlook, truly, is bleak and dreary. Recovery must be a slow and painful process and the enjoyment of the fruits of victory will continue to he a hope indefinitely deferred.

'rransport a Vital Link in Recovery

In the very heart of the complex problems surrounding recovery is that of transport. No staple progress can, 0will be, made without adequate goods and passenger road services. Abundance, as against shortage, of houses, furniture, food, clothing, etc., is dependent upon there being available sufficient transpOrt to meet the needs of workers and employers alike. Production hours lost as a result of colds contracted through standing in queues, waiting for transport, as also from delayed deliveries, must become a thing of the past. Such conditions never can be the handmaidens of progress and recovery.

Controls and regulations, especially designed for war putjaci:es and which are no longer necessary, must go. It is here that the N.R.T.F, and the R.H.A. must bear a heavy responsibility, for the problems facing those engaged , in the industry are many and grave. The first condition of recovery, must be the manifestation of a spirit of acceleration, combined with a fixeddetermination to get things done, la the winning of the peace there must be applied vigour equal to that displayed in the winning of the war. Hesitancy, indifference, and an absence of fixity of purpeise cannot lead the industry to heights of prosperity: on the contrary, they can drag it to the depths of despair aed economic slavery.

The declared policy of the Government to nationalize inland transport compels a new outlook.. The N.R.T F and the R I-E.A. in reviewing the position, will he ;:;.1;1pelted to do some hard thinking. As little referenee wag made to this subject in the King's recent speech, it is

apparent that the Government does riot propose to oroceed fully with this matter during the current session. The representative bodies, therefore, have time in which to formulate a policy and determine a plan of action. This task should be undertaken now; it should not be delayed until the proposals of the Government are made known.

It would seem that these proposals might follow one of two courses—either nationaltzation of road haulage in the ft,l1 sense of the word or contrel boards on a regional basis, as, for example, the L.P.T.B, In the event of the first course being adopted, it can be foreseen-that the process would be both long and costly. The work of assessing and purchasing some 60,000 businesses would, in itself, take years to complete, and, possibly, might prove too formidable a task. The second course would be easier to ftillow, assuming tnat hauliers would retain their identity and the control of their businesses. If Oroof could be furnished that either of the foregoing suAgestions would not serve the national needs., or would be against national interests, no Government— however large might he its majority--could ignore such 1.4. case. The R.H.A., particularly. should consider this aspect It should not give up hope, nor, should it surrender ;sefrirss a shot is fired. The conclusion of the war of 1914•18 saw the rise of the industry, and every effort should be made to prevent the sounding of its death knell now.

The Drawbacks of the Zoning Scheme Before the issue of nationalization be joined, there is a number of questions of an urgent nature which clahris to be answered at an early date. For example, the zoning distsi

butive scheme should come -under immediate review, In the light of available evidence, it is extremely doubtful as to whether this war-time measure has not outlived its purpose and usefulness and should, therefore, be scrapped. Facts are not lacking to prove that this scheme has been more of a liability than an asset. It has resulted in the waste' on a large scale of quantities of feodstuffs, One of the more recent and glaring examples is that of fish. As soon as the zoning restrictions were lifted, housewives were no [nagem compelled to stand for long periods in queues in anticipation of procuring supplies; this because a sufficiency became available where, previously, scarcity had prevailed. In instances where it can be'proved that the zoning syStem. is responsible for the scattily of commodities, it should be withdrawn without delay. Bureaucratic tontrol should net be permitted to prevent the community from enjoying the fruits of victory in even the smallest measure: The anomaly of plentiful supplies being available in some districts whilst there is a grave shortage in others is , traceable, in the Main, to the zoning system.This is a matter which should be taken Up forthwith by the N:R.T.F.

The acceleration of demobilization raises the question of

re-entry into the industry of ex-Service men. Doubtless :there will be a fair number of Such-cases sinsongst the people who are to be released. &Ling the coming months. vill they, he granted the necessary licences without any quibble or argument, or will they be calks:I upon to prove need? A decision Must be reached, also, regarding the men who were granted war-time licences. What is the attitude Of the R.H.A. in this 'matter? These are, but a few, of the questions which beset the industry at the present time and which must, of necessity, be faceci.up to and answered, As the road-transport industry enters upon the new e:a. there should be no feeling of despair. It should face the future with courage, deriving strength from Its wealth of experience, firm in the knowledge that, whatever happens, it must occupy an essential place' in the national sconce-Mc scheme. Recovery and transport must .travel tfie..'nad together, an,i it may be in the 'hand's at the 'induAry it4elf whether till, road be rough or reasonably smooth.

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