low Use Liner
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beer. But many other containers still carried ballast to simulate commercial loads.
The NUR has still not budged in its resistance to allowing depot access to hauliers other than BRS, but now that C-licensed vehicles are allowed in, the NUR could be faced at local level with the very difficult task of identifying the origin of actual vehicles. He would be an exceptionally astute railwayman who could, on the spot, " adjudicate " between, say, Silver Roadways and Tate and Lyle Transport Ltd. Not to mention Rowntrees/NMU, Merchandise Transport/Lebus, London Carriers/ Philips, and the vast number of cases where a haulier operates under contract in the livery at his customer.
It would be ironical if this sheer practical problem finally overcame the resistance hitherto based on some cherished, if vague, principle.
In any event, a show-down with the union cannot now be far away. The 24-man exccutile of the NUR were meeting in London this week. But it was considered unlikely that they would make any move unless the Railways Board took the first step by announcing a date for full commercial services.
When this happens there could well be a change of mind by the executive. Last time they discussed the " open terminals" proposal it was rejected by only 13 votes to 11, the narrowest margin in the long history of the liner train dispute. it would only need a switch by one member for the proposal to be carded on the president's casting vote.