Honouring Mr. David Richardson L AST Saturday, in the banqueting hall
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of the Rbyal Brighton, the R.H.A. South-Eastern Area held a happy function, taking the form of a dinner in honour of Mr. David Richardson, the late A.R.O. and R,H.A. chairman of that area.
The chairman, Mr. G. A. Streeter, M.G., J.P., said that some 12 years ago a number of hauliers assembled in Guildford ti await a.lecture from a man from Chatham. He was to speak on the Association and traffic problems. This was Mr. Richardson, and he impressed the meeting with his quiet confidence and obvious honesty. His name was honoured throughout the S.E. Area, particularly in connection with his 12 years' hard labour to bring about his ideals for unity amongst the associations. The merger, which was greatly due to him, was infinitely bigger and better than that contemplated in 1936. He had great pleasure in banding him an illuminated address and a cheque; there was also a handbag for his wife.
In his reply, Mr. Richardson said that he had been picked out by Messrs. Fowler and' Jack Pye, to 'occupy the chair at Chatham, and they had worked right through with him to attain a combined association. He congratulated the S.E. Area on its new chairman, Mr. Streeter, who was most competent and combined personality and pertinacity. Speaking of traffic courts, he suggested that these might, in future, be termed " traffic clinics," and on nationalization, he asked: " Is your journey really necessary to this? " He felt it essential that headquarters should get , out figures to prove that the Government could not run our industry as economically as its members could run it themselves. He said that with authority, having spent 42 years close to a nationalized industry. He believed that hauliers could do more with a certain number of vehicles at a certain cost than could possibly be accomplished by any possible form of nationalization.
The toast of the guests was ably proposed by the Mayor, Councillor A. V. Nicholls, J.P., a well-known personality in haulage; replies being made by Lieu.-Colonel F. Gordon Tucker, 0.111., T.D., R.T.C. for the Area; Major H. E. Crawfurd, A.F.C., and Messrs. H. T. Dutfield, M.Inst.T., and F. G. Witcher.