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Dock Inquiry: Road Haulage "Not Represented" COMPLAINT was made at

7th November 1947
Page 34
Page 34, 7th November 1947 — Dock Inquiry: Road Haulage "Not Represented" COMPLAINT was made at
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Liverpool .‘....Chamber of Commerce on October 28 that the. delays in clearing roadborne goods traffic at-Merseyside docks were adding enormously to the costs of industry and tended to cause exports to be diverted throOgh other ports.

: There was also criticism of the composition of the Working Party Cornmittee set up by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board to deal with this matter of delays, on the ground that the trader who was eventually called upon to pay for the delays occurring at the docks, had no representative.

"During the whole of my 40 years' experience of Liverpool docks," said Mr. J. A. Powell, M.Inst.T., traffic manager of the northern groups of the Dunlop Rubber Co., Ltd., 'I have never known conditions to be so bad is they are to-day. We send a vehicle with goods to the docks and say good-bye to it. We don't know whether it will come back that night or the following day."

A letter had been sent out by the Dock Board suggesting how delays might be avoided, but how could one dictate to a driver how to load his vehicle? Probably he knew better than anyone, his first consideration being a safe load.

Another suggestion was for the strict observance of the loading dates of ships. What was the good of keeping to loading dates when the operator still experienced the same delays? Unless a solution was found quickly, trade would be diverted from Liverpool.

Equally vigorous was Mr. R. B. Stockdale, of Motor Carriers, Ltd., and chairman of the road transport section of the Chamber. The Chamber

of Commerce, in conjunction with the Road Haulage Association, had been .active ever since the beginning of this trouble, he stated. L was largely due to the Chamber that the Working Party Committee had been set up, yet it had no representative. Requests to the Dock :Board for representation had been turned down.

No Official Contact

"Railway officials do not represent this Chamber," continued Mr. Stockdale. As far as road haulage was concerned, the person appointed—well qualified although he might be—represented no one but himself. The R.H.A. had never .been Consulted as to his nomination. had no official knowledge that the

Working Party Committee existed, and • had no officiai contact with it.

The executive committee of the Chamber was asked to consider the subject and to report to a later meeting.

• Results of a special investigation by "The Commercial Motor" into the causes of the delays at the Mersey docks are reported on pages 365-366.

E.C.I.T.O. STAFF TO WAIT FOR PAY

" THE late European Central Inland Transport Organization is now in process of liquidation and I cannot say to what extent the sums due to the staff will he discharged. The liquidator will continue to press the Governments who are in arrear for payment," said Mr Callaghan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, in reply to a .question by Mr. A. Edward Davies, in the House of Commons.

Meanwhile, it seems, members of the staff will have to wait for their money.

A SIGN OF THE TIMES?

nUR1NG the debate on the abolition

of the basic petrol ration, the Government came nearer to defeat than on any ocCasion since it was elected in 1945. A prayer for the annulment of the Order withdrawing the basic ration was rejected by only 27 votes.

CARTAGE SUPERVISORS GO • BACK TO "SCHOOL"

AHIGHLY successful week's course for cartage supervisors, run on the discussion-group principle, was recently held by the London and North Eastern Railway Co. Among the subjects covered were the following:—The

relative suitability of different types of vehicle; heavy haulage; road accidents; driver training; and the assistance that cartage operating staffs can give to the road motor engineer's staff.

AS YOU WERE

I NCREASED railway fares and the abolition of the basic petrol ration have offset the improvement in the road passenger transport position which was brought about by the staggering of factory hours in the Northern Area. Traffic is being transferred from rail to road, and former private motorists are swelling bus loads.

TALK ON CONSTRUCTION

QNovemer 17, at the Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool, at 7.30 p.m., Mr. R. J. Heathman, A.M.Inst.T., rolling stock and works engineer, Liverpool Corporation, will speak on the subject of vehicle construction at a meeting of the Merseyside Centre of the Institute of Traffic Administration.


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