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Col. Redman Says Goodbye

31st December 1937
Page 7
Page 7, 31st December 1937 — Col. Redman Says Goodbye
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THE need for uniformity of wages and conditions of employment in the haulage industry was among the points stressed by Col. A. S. Redman, West Midland Licensing Authority, when he sat at his last public inquiry at Birmingham, last week.

Excluding railway companies, there were in the West Midland Area, he said, some 2,500 holders of A licences, authorized to use about 7,000 vehicles ; 4,000 B-licensees with another 6,000 vehicles; and 16,500 holders of C and Contract A licences, with about 40,000 vehicles. During their three years in office, he and Dr. Dawson Sadler, his deputy, had dealt with 6,000 applications in respect of A licences, of which 240 were refused; of 12,000 B-licence applications, 360 were refused. Applications for variations were not included in those figures.

There was a total of 30,000 grants in respect of A and B licences during the period and 1,000 refusals. Of these decisions, only seven had gone before the Appeal Tribunal up to September last, and two of the appeals were dismissed.

In the main, therefore," said Col. Redman, "the contending parties have accepted our decisions, although it is manifestly impracticable to satisfy everyone in this contentious business." The diffictlIty of assessing transport requirements, as a whole, was a point on which Col. Redman commented. He said that it was, in a large measure, due to lack of uniformity in wages and conditions of employment, and to the indeterminate position with regard to -haulage rates.

A good deal depended on the observance of conditions, Questions of discipline were some of the most important he would have to hand over to his successor.

"Those of you operating in observance of the law may, I fear, feel somewhat aggrieved that our enforcement of the conditions has not been stronger," he said, " hut, as I have said before, I thought it right to give the industry time to feel its feet under the new despotism. We are now taking steps to strengthen the proportion of our staff devoted to enforcement.

I should also like to express to the road-haulage industry generally," added Col, Redman, "my confident hope that the limelight shed on it will enable it to see its way to.emerge successfully from the present throes of controversy. with benefit to trade and the goodwill of the community it serves.

" In wishing you all farewell in my present capacity, I hope you realize that it is with the greatest regret that I sever my connection, at any rate for the time being, with your activities, but I shall always follow the developments of the industry with the greatest interest."


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