Registered Owners Confer.
Page 5
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Meeting Held, by the Courtesy of the Commercial Motor Users Association, at 112, Piccadilly, London, W., on Monday last.
It is estimated that approximately 350 wagons and tractors are registered under the War-office scheme, count. ing all machines in the whole of the United Kingdom. A few are registered in Ireland and Scotland, and many more in the North of England—particularly around Manchester. At a meeting on Monday last, which was convened by this journal, and which was in the nature of a private conference between owners, fur which reason names are withheld, it is satisfactory to he able to report that those who attended or wrote represented and spoke in respect of considerably more than 100 machines, and that practically the whole of these owners are concerned with engines upon which the Aldershot command relies at manoeuvre time. The chair was taken by Mr. E. Shrapnell Smith, who had the support in person of 16 owners, and the support in writing—giving specific approval to the terms of the resolutions and any decisions of the meeting arising of another nine owners.
Compensation for Disturbance.
We content ourselves, in view of the delicate nature of the negotiations which are likely to follow the holding of this conference, by printing, for the general information of our readers, the terms of the resolutions which were adopted. We may state, however, that a considerable discussion took place upon the question of seeking an increase in the annual subsidy, in respect of vehicles called out for hire, or an increase in the hiring rates. It was ultimately decided, by a majority of two to one, and in the belief fleet the procedure would be simplified, to adhere to tile request for an increase of the annual registration payment.. A larger increase will be demanded, if inspection or any other War-office conditions are varied. The Chairman was requested, that he, when putting forward this proposal in whatever manner may hereafter he decided upon, would indicate that the meeting viewed it in the light of compensation for disturber:fee of business. It was called to the notice of the meeting, also, that this principle of compensation for disturbance is embodied in the existing scheme_ so far as regards a bonus upon the depreciated value of any machine purchased by eompulsory order; hence, it was generally felt, that the same principle might, with the force of precedent to help it, be embodied in the hiring part of the scheme.
Subvention and Hire.
The first two resolutions were ultimately adopted with a single dissentient. They are as follow " That the existing registration scheme of the War Office requires amendment, and that the terms thereunder should he varied so as to increase the amount of the subsidy, in respect of any vehicle or tractor which is hired during the year, from .C2 per annum to not less than £10 per annum, the present subsidy applying to any engines which are not hired," " That the minimum payment for hiring, irrespective of the number of days of actual service, should be the equivalent of 10 days hiring at the scheduled rates in the present War-office scheme, any period of hiring beyond 10 days to be remunerated additionally at those daily rates."
Abnormal Usage.
The wording of the third resolution, as put down on the agenda paper, in respect of abnormal usage, was also discussed at great length. The wording submitted read "That the work required of vehicles or tractors on hire should so far as possible he approximated to ordinary conditions of usage, and that the War Office should undertake, after proper reference to a compensation committee if necessary, to recoup owners for any damage thereto caused by unreasonable usage."
The meeting, after no fewer than ten of the owners had expressed their views, unanimously adapted the following resolution in substitution therefor ;
" That the consequences of any abnormal departures from ordinary conditions of usage such as the supply of ieferier fuel or the haulage of excessive loads) should be held to fall under the provisions of Clause 5 of the existMg War-office scheme."
The intention, here, is to secure proper consideration— if neeessery, at the hands of arbitrators, as provided in the existing scheme– for the consequences of abnormal incidents, which consequences might, in the absence of a clear understanding to the contrary, be held not to come within the existing provisions for compensation.
Rations.
This topic gave rise to the recounting of not-a-few amusing stories, and one owner, who personally attended the manceuyres, waxed sarcastic about drivers who wanted luxurious feeding. It was made amply evident, however, that the general experience of owners had been most unfavourable, and several went so far as to say that their men would undoubtedly leave them, thereby inflicting considerable inconvenience upon them, if they were again ordered to go to the manoeuvres without some assurance of better feeding. The following resolution was unanimously adopted : " That the existing daily scale of hiring foes should include the provision of rations and sleeping accommodation for the men while in camp, and that effective arrangements should be made by the War Office to carry out that part of the undertaking." The proceedings, which had lasted a full 90 minutes, terminated with a vote of ,thanks to the Chairman, who promised that no action should be taken without full consideration and further consultation with owners.