Furniture Removers and Railway Competition
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THE autumnal dinner of the Furniture Warehousemen and Removers' Association was held in London on November 12th. The president, Mr. F. W. H. Winwood, was in the chair. Colonel C. B. Bressey, CB., C.B.E., F.S.I., Chief Engineer of the Roads Department, Ministry of Transport, proposed the toast of "The Association." During the course of his speech ho emphasized the value of co-operation between associations and the Ministry in the preparation of regulations. He said that some 60 county councils have already participated in the grants for roads development, and that nearly 200 by-pass roads have been constructed.
In response to this toast, the president made a spirited speech in which he referred at length to the competition of the railway companies in connection with the furniture-removal business. He emphasized the need for the members continuing the use of road transport for their work, and pointed out that the use of an out-of-date system amounted to attempting to fight the forces of evolution. Further, be em B26 phasized the value of the constant modernizing of transport equipment in order to offer the utmost service, which alone can command future business.
Major-General S. S. Long, CB., Minst.T., president of the Commercial Motor Users Association, urged the Association to lend its support in the fight against weak bridges which are a sad handicap to the development of transport by road. There are, he pointed out, many topics requiring concentrated attention on the part of road users, and each and every association should add its weight to the representations to be made to the Ministry.
In proposing the toast "Kindred Associations," Mr. G. T. Mayhew brought forward some interesting points. One is that the lines of the modern type of vehicle body offer the finest advertising medium which the trade requires, and that there is the additional advantage of each being a " solus " position.
In his reply, Mr. I. Albert Thomson, N.P., vice-president of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, out
lined the scope of the industry, and made particular reference to the comprehensive nature of the Show at Olympia. He urged upon those present to assist their association in every way and to direct more attention to the urgent need for the reduction of taxation, as 'road transport had subscribed not less than £55,000,000 during the past year. At a meeting which preceded this dinner the question of whether members should load and/or unload containers on behalf of the railway companies was considered, and a recommendation to members not to undertake such work was passed. The decision is of some importance, for the association has about 700 members.
There are some removal concerns which are not members, but many of these are undertakings of which the removal business is ancillary to some other trade, it being a qualification of membership of the association that separate plant and equipment be kept for removals. The recommendation is, therefore, of considerable importance.