Quarry owners boycott rates meeting
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• A meeting called by the North East Tipper Operators' Association this month to discuss a common rates schedule was virtually boycotted by the quarry owners, a public inquiry learned in Newcastle on Tuesday. The application before the Northern LA, Mr. J. A. T. Hanlon, was by Limmer and Trinidad Co. Ltd. to base seven tippers each at Newcastle upon Tyne and Thornaby on Tees on B licence and had been part-heard on February 12.
It had then been established that Limmer and Trinidad could charge for and carry, under a C licence, material it had coated itself. However, a B licence was required to carry dry materials for Slater and Co. (Limestone) Ltd. and Slater (Redmire) Ltd. within 50 miles of five named quarries.
At the resumed hearing Mr. A. H. Snodgrass, production manager, Limmer and Trini dad, said it would be uneconomic to use these expensive tippers for drystone work exclusively. When not wanted for coated materials due to bad weather, they would be hired to the Slater group—about 20 per cent of the time.
At Marston quarry between March 5 and May 15 only five times had vehicles been available from outside hauliers. Slater's records showed that in this period there had been a load shortage to customers of 12,957 tons.
In February Limmer had had 13 vehicles on C and it now had 31, pointed out Mr. T. H.
Campbell Wardlaw for 24 objectors. If the B licence was granted these 14 vehicles would be in a privileged position vis-a-vis the dry stone work from Slater. Readymix Concrete (North East) Ltd. and Slater had also put on more C-licensed vehicles.
The acquisition of C-vehicles was necessary to protect his firm's markets said Mr. J. N.
Place, a Slater's director. He had estimated that if the trend continued it would be 130/150,000 tons short on its budget this year. Two Northumbrian quarries which had not been operated for roadstone before would soon be producing 250,000 tons a year and another coating plant was being installed in an old quarry, all of which would require transport.
Mr. Place did not agree that his company was putting on extra C-vehicles just bedause of the rates question. It was to negotiate a common rate that 49 tipper operators had met on April 30 to form the association and had invited all the owners to a meeting on May 6 but only Slater had sent apologies and no quarry representatives had attended, said Mr. Wardlaw.
Mr. K. Redfern, chairman of the Weirdale Hauliers Alliance, said the last load of coated material working to Durham County Council laying machines had to leave about 2 p.m. and he feared the loss of one load a day if the Limmer vehicles could haul drystone. However, he conceded that Limmer laying machines worked till 5.45 p.m. and the vehicles were not idle at the moment.
Mr. Hanlon said a representative of the LA might assist in negotiations between the parties if this was found to be desirable.
There had been definite evidence of need and he would grant 10 vehicles. However, should the applicants wish a variation, full loading figures would have to be produced.