Road Transport Fostering Bad Business?
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A RE hauliers setting too high a pace in transport? During an inquiry, last Thursday, the North-Western Licensing Authority several times expressed doubt whether certain practices outlined to him, were in the general public interest.
Mr. A. E. Hall, of Faulkner Street, Manchester, who has five vehicles carrying general goods over Great Britain, with a regular service between Manchester and Birmingham, was applying for the renewal of his licence. Evidence showed that he delivered cotton cloths to Birmingham, which sometimes came back to Manchester,. next day, as unpacked dresses. in a van specially fitted to prevent creasing. This was a form of transport which the railways did not undertake.
Another class of service offered by Mr. Hall was the collection 4 hot cakes from the bakeries in Manchester lust before midnight, and delivering :them to the shops in Birmingham by 8 a.m.
Mr. Hall spoke of having lost 36 customers in four years. Twelve purchased vehicles of their own, 16 were lost through lower rates quoted by the railways, and eight were abandoned because they delayed his vehicles: too long. Many of his customers adopted the hand-to-mouth method of modern business and if a van were kept an hour too long at one place, it was an hour late at the other calls, where, perhaps, as many as 40 girls were waiting at the machines for the delivery of materials.
The Authority: "Hand-to-mouth within-the-hour methods are bad business-. It appears rather a rush, which is. possibly not in the interest of the public."
Evidence by the railway companies was to the effect that traffic between Manchester and Birmingham had been lost, but it was admitted that they could not give by goods train same-day delivery in each direction.
Decision was reserved.