Force the Government's Hands!
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Reasons for the Present Depression in the Road Haulage Industry: Suggestioris as to How the Position Should be Met: What the Government Should Do
By J. F. E. Pye
YES! If the Government is to preserve_ the goods roadcarrying industry it must act and act quickly, because the situation, I venture to state, has not been so serious at any time since the 1930 slump, as it is to-day: Already the hue and cry is going up throughout the country, and justifiably so. Within the past three months there has been a tremendous falling off in traffics and, as a practical operator, I know the only result possible if a return to more reasoned conditions be not made at once.
In the world in whichwe live it would be presumptuous to expect that anything like normal conditions could obtain, but it Would be as well to remind the Government, before it is•too late, that thigPindustr3r played a big part in maintaining the country's transport during the period when heavy enemy air attacks were being experienced, and that throughout the country and in the House of Commons,
tribute has been paid to the industry. ,
How then the chaos? Surely the blame for the whole of this lies with the Government policy, and instructions to the various Ministries that all traffic and goods purchased by them shall be consigned by rail, and I would take this opportunity of saying that I donot blame the railways one iota; I believe, if they were asked, they would agree with the unsoundness of the Government policy.
Government Scheme Forced on Industry
The Government forced on the industry, against the better judgment of all its acco.edited leaders, including the Advisory Committee and the Standing Joint Committee, a scheme known as the Government Scheme," and its principle was to hold vehicles in' charter and to allow the industry to operate the balance of the traffic not so transported by the Chartered Fleet. It is right to say that fife industry is represented and, indeed, controls to a large measure, the whole of these two operations, but acquiesence in this sense does not mean agreement.
What is the position to-day? Industrialists throughout the country have magnificently responded to the call for arms, and all industries, the minimum must be 90 per cent., have turned this call to the benefit of the war machine. By so doing, their instructions are received from only the various Ministries, and here I believe we can assess in • tabled form the causes of this industry's troubled situation. The Government and, therefore, the Treasury, is responsible for the revenue of the railway companies, and the contracts so issued by the Government to the industries to which I have referred, have instructions, mostly against the wishes and common sense of the industries concerned, that the traffics shall pass by rail. Passenger services have thus been depleted to a deplorable extent, and with the reduction of the petrol ration, and the need for conservation of rubber, private cars are .used, sparsely, and industrialists throughout the country are indignant at the " services " which they can now obtain by these passenger lines. The railways are over-crowded with traffics, and, therefore, make transportation almost a laughing stock.
At the commencement of the Government Scheme, the Meat Pool vehicles were the first to be taken over as Chartered Vehicles, and because of the reduction of imports and the consumption of meat, these vehicles are being used on general haulage work for which they are mainly unsuitable.
The normal road carrier has had certain of his vehicles taken by charter for the Government Scheme, at a price which gives a revenue far below, and out of proportion to, the revenue and charges which the normal business carries, and he is not able to reduce to any real extent the overhead charges occasioned by the reduction of the normal revenue. The managers of the Chartered Fleet thus have the greatest difficulty in loading vehicles, so that the surplus traffics which they have -to hand to the industry's side of the Scheme are just the crumbs from the rich man's table.
Now a further step is being contemplated by the Government—intimation that canals are to be used once again to e22 take more traffics; coastwise shipping (despite the most urgent need to conserve shipping of any type) is beiug used for the haulage of goods which have'gone by road for many years. _ . However, it is easy to be destructive, I want also to be constructive.
(I) As the Government is responsible for the cost and profits of the railways, lei it equally be responsible for the good management thereof, 'and make sure there is a complete elimination of wastage. Let the railways be used for the traffics which they can best handle, amj, certainly take the advice of local as well as regional railway managers as to the suitability of the amount of traffics which they can 'handle. Give the necessary authority to the manufacturers for them to decide which form of transport should be used.
(2) If the Government policy demands a Chartered Fleet ready always, at the command of the Government to be used in the event of a grave national emergency, then these vehicles, 'and all of them should be kept for' such an end, and a definite' charge made to the Treasury, If the whole 'of the existing Chartered Fleet were held for such a purpose, and only forthat purpose, and paid for as a national expenditure against emergency, the cost of the whole per year, compared with the total cost of the war per day, would le infinitesimal.
• , (3) Give back to the genuine A and B operator his right to live, first by removing the present Government ban; secondly, by removing from general haulage the C-licence operator, who. does not depend on transport for his livelihood, and, thirdly, by llowing the A and B operator to carry, on Government authority, those goods, which require a direct, efficient and speedy service, If it be essential to conserve fuel and rubber, there is sufficient work of 'a more local type than, possibly, has been operated before, to „any real extent, which would not only free the railways for heavier and longer journeys, but speed up the general efficiency of transport of goods.
Two Examples Of Transport Wastage Numerous examples of wastage under present conditions could be quoted, but I give two as typical. .
Movement from Store A to Store a of 25 tons of goods, with a road distance of 14 miles, would, by road carrier, use two vehicles, and the job be completed in a day. What really happened was that the railways did the work by col lecting lectinrr at point A on 3-ton vehicles, loading into trucks, which did the rail journey of 30 miles, and delivering at point B by 3-ton horsed cars. The cost of the whole by rail was more than three times that by road, to say nothing of the extra labour involved. _ A 250-ton " parcel " (and all previous consignments have gone by road) was diverted to rail during the past three months. A road operator was offered 15 cwt. (the final clearance of this parcel) for delivery, and took it, fully expecting that the amount was, possibly, a sample of a further large consignirient. On inquiry afterwards he wai informed of the true position, and that the Ministry concerned, realizing the •15 cwt. was urgent to complete, instructed the management to send this by road " as being the only satisfactory and speedy way to ensure its safe arrival at the destination." .
am firmly convinced that action such as I have suggested must be taken without any further delay if the industry is to be preserved for now and the future. The Government will not financially lose by any action it maytake in its change of, policy, and this industry and the men who work for it will not...threaten to strike for an increase in price or wage when the country is in dire peril (vide London "Evening Standard," 29.6.42).
As always, the goods road transport industry is at the service of the .country as a whole. The industry and its,
leaders know the eouble—does the Government? The remedy is obvious—the Government must act.