Start of "Tremendous Organization"
Page 30
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THIS is the beginning of a tremen1 dons orga,thiation," said Major R. A. B. Smith, M.C., announcing the merger with the A.R.O. at a C.M.U.A. West Midland Division meeting, in Birmingham, last Friday.
The need for a highway *system planned to meet modern road-transport requirements was emphasised in Major Smith's address on "Highways and the Government's Five-Year Plan." Expressing the view that the plan in question could be accepted as intended to meet this end, he pointed out that many schemes committed to paper never proceeded beyond that point. Motor taxation would produce about £72,000,000 in the current year, and, if these proceeds were devoted, as they should be, to road purposes, there would be ample funds available for financing the plan.
Vehicle taxation, during the past seven years, had increased threefold, quite apart from duties on fuel, said Mr. F. G. Bristow, The C.M.U.A. was urging that there should be a 25-per cent. reduction in commercial-vehicle taxation and at least 2d. per gallon off fuel duties. Such a reduction would be followed by a transfer by many small operators from horses to motors, with a consequent benefit to the Exchequer.
Commenting upon the good work that had been done by Capt. Strickland,
M.P., in connection with the Pa-rliamentary road group, he urged members to encourage employees to put their views before Members of the House.
Need for individual approach to M.P.s was also voiced by Mr., 0. C. Power.
Laughter at the regulations was caused when Mr. Drysdale Wilson pointed out that a horsebox containing a horse could travel at 30 m.p.h., but if the same vehicle carried a donkey, it must not proceed at a speed in excess of 20 m.p.h.