Transport and Farmers : A Northern Ireland Proposal
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N interim report has just been issued by the Agricultural Enquiry Committee appointed by Lord Glentoran, former Minister of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, to inquire into the future of Ulster agriculture and advise upon steps necessary to effect its maximum development and improvement.
The committee, of which Lord Justice Bahington is chairman, expresses the view that the provision of transport services for agriculture is bound up with the general question of the future of public transport.
" We believe," says the majority report, " that the only hope of maintaining a satisfactory public transport system for passengers and freight after the war, without charging excessive fares or rates or resorting to subsidies, lies in a fully co-ordinated system comprising both roadand rail which, by improvements in administration and elimination of redundant services, will be able to offer mofe attractive services to the public. This most desirable result cannot be attained -while the present conflict between road and rail continues and we, therefore, recommend that the two systems be amalgamated under a Public Utility Board."
The committee suggests that the Board should take over L.M.S. (N.C.C.) Railway, Belfast and County
Down Railway and .Northern Ireland RoadTransport Board and operate them as one coneern. It considers that the. G.N.R. Co. (Ireland) must be' left out of amalgamation, as its geographical and constitutional position render its inclusion unadvisable, if not impossible. The report states, however, that the transport authorities agree that the G.N.R. could be associated with the combined body by means of a series of pools or working arrangements.
The committee suggests that members of the Public Utility Board should be appointed by the Northern Ireland Government, and its constitution and function should be matters for consideration if the Government accepts the principle, of amalgamation.
Mr. J. P. Herdman, in a minority report, states that the majority report adopts far-reaching assumptions about the transport system which do not seem, to be sufficiently supported by evidence tendered to the committee, or to be warranted by any assertion that they are necessitated by the manner in which-agricultural interests depend on the system. In Mr. Herd s man's view the drastic recommendation teat the Transport Act of 1935 should be abandbned is made on the assumption that it is unworkable—an assumption hardly justified by the evidence tendered,
CLOSER LINK BETWEEN M.O.W.T. AND OPERATORS WITH a view to the improvement of IN liaison channels between the Ministry of War' Transport's road haul age 'organization and the general body of operators, representatives of the latter are being 'appointed to attend the monthly area meetings which, hitherto, have been confined to the Ministry's road haulage officers and unit controllers. It is felt that this form of contact will tend to promote settlement of what are essentially area problems on the spot, and to prevent the clogging up of national negotiation channels by matters which are not of national significance. '
The appointment of representatives to attend the monthly meetings in the four areas of the North-Eastern Divi sion was considered at a recent joint meeting in Leeds of the Yorkshire Area Standing Joint Committee, the York shire Controlled Undertakings' Committee, -and the Yorkshire Hired Vehicle Operators' Committee. Mr.
Harry Woodhead, of Queensbury, was appointed as the representative for the•
Leeds area, -and Mr. J. Wallis, of Birs tall, for the Huddersfield area. The appointment of representatives for the Sheffield and Hull areas was deferred, pending consultations in those places.
BREAKERS' ASSOCIATION DEVELOPING MEMBERSHIP WHEN the Motor Vehicle DisVV mantlers' Association met in Leeds recently, 125 members, representative of all parts of England and Scotland, attended under the chairmanship of Mr. K. Tye (York Autowreckers).
The chairman stressed the fact that the power and influence of the Association would increase in proportion to the extent to which the Association is successful in -securing the adherence of all concerns engaged in the industry, arid he appealed to those present to do their utmost to obtain all genuine lorry and car breakers as members.
Mr. J. W. W. Harman (Autowreckers, Hull) was unanimously elected first vice-president in recognition of his services as the inspirer and prime-mover in the inauguration of the Association. Mr. J. •F. Richardson, cio Autowreckers, Clough Road, Hull, is the secretary.
The next general meeting will be held in London on a date to be fixed by the executive committee.
The death is announced of MR. WILLIAM BENRY STARKEY, of the Tudor Accumulator. Co., Ltd. He joined the company in 1902 and for many years had been its district engineer for London and the Eastern Counties.
• We regret to learn of the death of MR. SIDNEY WILLIAM WISE, who had been foundry manager successively for • Hepworth and Grandage, Ltd., David Brown and Sons (Hud.dersfield), Ltd., and the Bradford Piston Ring Co., Ltd. Until a breakdown in health, Mr. Wise held a war-time appointment as an inspector in connection with munifirms production, and latterly, he had been with Yorkshire. Repetition Castings, Ltd. He was 62 years of age.
We regret to 'record the death of MR. ALBERT CIJNLIFFE, traffic manager of Reckitt and Colman, Ltd., Hull, which occurred last week. He was 47 years of age. During the 1914-18 war he served in the Army, and afterwards he held an appointment on the State
• railways in Malaya. In 1922 he became traffic manager for R.eckitt and Son, Ltd., Hull, and continued in that capacity after the company's amalgamation with Colman, Ltd. He was a member of the Mansion House Transport Association and of the Institute of Transport, and had been chairman -of Hull Traffic Association.
HAULIERS ALARMED BY WORKING OF HAULAGE SCHEME
T AST week, Leicestershire hauliers
met to discuss the M.O.W.T. Haulage. Scheme, when the utmost alarm was expressed concerning its operation. The meeting was presided over by Mr. R. H. • Francks, of E. E. Bee, Ltd., Hinckley (which has 10 vehicles operating under the scheme), supported .by. Mr. J. Arnold Kirby, vice-chairman, Hauliers Mutual Federation, and other Leicester associations. • Figures were quoted to show that the scheme has 'failed, in the light of present circumstances, to save rubber and fuel. Moreover, tonnage carried on the same vehicles for similar periods in 1942 has declined to less than 40 per cent., whilst labour. costs had increased and empty mileage had become 12-fold greater.
It was stated that it was doubtful if there be, in fact, greater traffic arising, but that the present congestion throughout the country was due to mismanagement of road-transport vehicles. _ It was unanimously decided by all operators present, with vehicles hired by the Ministry, to inquire if it be possible for their vehicles to be withdrawn from the scheme.
Following striking comnients on the independence of small hauliers, who, it was said, were now in process of being ruined by. the scheme, a strong resolution was passed without a single dissentient.
" DUBLIN UNITED" TO • ACQUIRED?
STOCKHOLDERS in Dublin United Transport Co. have been advised that legislation to provide for the coin-. pulsory acquisition of the company is to be introduced in the Dail. It is learned that if the Bill goes through, the dompany will also be taken over by the new £20,000,000 statutory Company which is to absorb the Great Southern
Railways Co