Road Transport Takes a Back Seat at the Institute Dinner
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ONE usually comes away from the annual dinner of the Institute of Transport feelingthat road-transport interests have not been as much in the limelight as their importance warrants. That is a comment we have made in past years, and at this yeas's event, held a few days ago, the truth of the observation was once again borne in upon. us.
With the dinner itself no one could quibble, but with the speeches one found one's thoughts wandering—a bad sign Even the Minister of Transport, Mr. Leslie Burgin, to whom one looks— and seldom in vain—for a good speech, was not in his usual form and, apart bent a few flattering remarks on the 'objects and problems of the Institute,. he was content, in the main, to repeat Mady-rhadc tags to which we are grow, big accustomed—" transport, essential in tithe of peace, vital in time of war " is a fair sample.
.Then came the, president of the Instittite, Mr. Gilbert S. Szlumper, who 'parried the pleasantries of the Minister 'with the quip that he (the Minister) was tackling problems of to-day manfully and fearlessly. In fact, he thought "a Burgin in the hand was worth two in the Parliamentary hush" He spoke of the good ivork done by the Institute ever close upon 21' years, and appealed for greater support from older men of greater experience and from younger men who could benefit from this experience. He looked with hope upon: a satisfactory outcome of the present negcrtiatiens betwean road, and rail., and viewed 'with confidence the future of transport in this country. He foresaw the possibility of co-ordination and. transport providers and benefactors both receiving benefits He ended with, an appeal to all concerned with transport to think "big."
Sri Cyril Hurcomb, K.C.I3., K.B,E., and Mr Robertson F. Gibb also spoke, the latter saying that • the "square deal " as a slogan had achieved, a lot. If a road-transport personality had been given the chance—and there were several notabilities on that side present —he could have told him quite clearly where it had failed