OPINIONS and QUERIES
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GOVERNMENT COMPENSATION FOR DISPLACED TRANSPORT STAFF?
YOUR leader, "Nationalization Spells Ruin," applies principally to vehicle owners, and in the general build-up in the fight against nationalization no attention whatsoever has been given to the elimination of staffs of road transport concerns under a unified regime.
If nationalization succeeds, it is difficult to visualize the pattern which may evolve, but, logically, many compensated vehicle owners will be employed in executive positions, and, if the past be any guide, civil servants from any and every department will be brought in to complete the complement, so that the problem of redundancy is a very real one to thousands of men who have spent their working life in road transport and who have risen to their present positions the hard way.
In equal fairness, if, as the Government contends, vehicle owners are to be compensated, so should any staff employee who is denied his right toa livelihood at the period of change-over or through any subsequent reorganization. This is not a begging plea, but a rightful demand which should be incorporated in the R.H.A. propaganda scheme and discussed immediately by the various bodies concerned with this class of employee.
Glasgow, W.4. ARTHUR R. WILSON.
SMALL TRANSPORT CONCERN WISH ES TO HELP
REGARDING the article, entitled "Mobilizing All Resources Against State Monopoly," by J. F: Archbold in your issue dated December 21, we, as a company, are in agreement in "making a fight for it," although, as the business is only a few weeks old, we cannot, as yet, make any monetary contribution. We are, however, willing to join any association which will help to defeat this Government scheme. Up to the time we were formed into a company, my partners and I were engaged as lorry drivers on long-distance work for a number of years, and we did enjoy a good deal of freedom and earned a good living wage. Now we are under a new heading, the company consisting of three, including myself.
A. Reks-riNGs (for A. Hastings and Co.). London, E.5.
DRIVERS' VIEWS ON NATIONALIZATION
THE various claims for and against nationalization have been followed by me with great interest. It seems to me that what we want are a few more " Mr. Churchills," and the Editor of "The Commercial Motor" is, I believe, one such.
What is the matter with those men in, or connected with, our industry who advocate this Labour Government measure? Are they too old to fight op are they hoping for good positions under the suggested regime? If these people had had five and a half years of "nationalization," as I have, they would know how "efficient" it is—and all at the taxpayers' expense. I was a long-distance lorry driver in civilian life, but for practically all the war was a fitter in the Services.
May I offer my opinion as to the lines which should be taken in this fight?
I think the public should be reminded that the Labour Party claimed that it was out to restrict combines, etc. It does not need a great amount of intelligence to see that road transport is just the opposite of a combine, also that while we were supposed to be "cutting each other's throats," as was claimed in a recent speech by an M.P., we were really doing the country a service by keeping down transport rates. I think it will be found that as a result of what occurred in the earlier days, the best concerns survived, and, incidentally, they were the ones who paid good wages, as opposed to "rotten."
As for welfare in this "unorganized" industry, recently I went to a social, evening attended by 140 children and their parents It was subscribed to by my old transport concern and my workmates. Would a nationalized transport system encourage such good fellowship amongst the workers?
I have waited a long time to return to civilian life and reasonable freedom. Have I waited in vain? Not if I can help it! Wh ittlesea E. HALL.
I FEEL that I cannot write too strongly in opposing I the Government's idea of nationalizing road transport. There are so many things involved, and has not the Government sufficient to do "to mind its own business," which is the affair of the State? Let it do that efficiently first. I wonder sometimes if the Government will, in time, be telling us when we may blow our noses!
The attempts which it has already made to run transport have, in my view, not been economically successful, and it needs very little thought to realize the catastrophe that would come should road transport be nationalized.
The great trouble with the general public is that so few persons stop to think out problems for themselves. I wonder how many people, when they voted at the General Election, did so for the men whom they thought the best for a difficult job, rather than because they belonged to any political party. However, that is over, and a new Government is in power.
Now we have before us a small-minded policy of nationalizing this and that industry, including road transport. The Government states that it believes this to be the will of the people, but I very much doubt this to be the case, but if it be so the people cannot have given any deep thought to the problem.
The tradesman calls with foodstuffs,•the bus runs at reasonably precise times, and many other vital road services are afforded; yet this is all accepted without comment, no thought being given to the men who drive long distances through the night hours with supplies of milk, meat, etc. There is hardly a service to man that does not involve road transport. Then there are the people who manufacture the vehicles and maintain them. In fact, the whole business is on a colossal scale.
If the Government continues its wild scheme of nationalization, services which have been built up by individuals who have given their life's work to them, and have brought their sons in to help, will, in many cases, be treated as redundant.
NO doubt, nationalization will be accompanied by a large army of inspectors, whom we might expect to be people incapable of obtaining real jobs of work and often ignorant of the problems involved. They will possess authority but not understanding. Then there will be a gigantic game of "Passed to you" between sub-controllers and central offices before any real work can be done; meanwhile, loads will await transport and the perishable will perish.
• In transport particularly, "on-the-spot" decisions are vital. The direction must be made with first-hand and practical knowledge; there is no place in it for remote control. That is why the present system of road transport is so successful and gives such excellent service. 11 is the personal contact with consignors and consignees of traffic which is most valuable.
My point of view, from a driver's angle, is that working for a gigantic service such as that visualized would be intolerable. I notice, when travelling about, that the happier people are those working for small concerns and master-men, undertakings in which there is always close contact between the employers and employees— where, indeed, there is mutual understanding. In many of these smaller concerns the driver is regarded almost as a partner, not as a mere machine.
What it would be like working for a road-transport service under the unwieldy methods of Government is terrifying to imagine. I have had a taste of it during 14 months, while attached to the R.H.O., and I can quite candidly say that I did not like*. Out of some 100 journeys involving, perhaps, 400 miles on each round trip, only 50 were with full loads. I do not blame any unit controller for this. Often the stuff carried was of large bulk and little weight. The return journeys often involved a game of passing from one unit to another, perhaps picking up from three or four points, small parcels for delivery to other points away from the homeward route, and occupying not half the vehicle's capacity.
1 found the inspectors of little or no help. They were often rude to drivers and appeared to discourage good principles. No man feels inclined to work well when he knows that someone is " snooping " on him all the time. There may be reasons for inspection, but, so often, it causes irritation to those who never give any
trouble. A. J. PARRIS. Bletchley.
DANGER FROM WRONGLY PARKED CARS THERE are no doubt many drivers who have recently
relicensed their cars and are not aware of the following standing order. Should you have space, 1 think it would be as well to insert this advice in your very interesting columns.
Stationary Vehicles During Hours of Darkness
"The Emergency Powers (Defence) Standing Vehicles Order, 1939, provides that except with the permission of a police constable in uniform, no person shall cause or permit any vehicle to remain at rest on any road during the hours of darkness otherwise than with the left or near side of the vehicle as close as may be to the edge of the carriageway.' The Order does not apply, inter alia, to a vehicle in a one-way street,' nor to a vehicle in a parking place, where compliance with the Order would conflict with the regulations applying to
the parking place." •
Vehicles facing in the wrong direction at night are very dangerous, and in foggy weather are a real menace to the safety of road users. During the past week or two, in which we have had considerable fog, I have come across quite a large number of cars the owners of which are, without any question, breaking this emergency Order.
1-wish your paper success in 1946.
itcham. H. PIRIE (for James Pascal!, Ltd.). HAULIERS WHO .WANT REPRESENTATION AS a regular reader of your journal, am most (Th. impressed with the articles dealing with the fight against nationalization.
I am one of the thousands of small hauliers who a're not members of any organization such as the R.H.A., H.M.F. or N.C.R.T.A. Many of us do not know the first thing about how the fight should be conducted, but I, for one, would like to do all I can to help, and
am sure thousands of others take the same view. Therefore, let us know how we can do so; for one thing, I would like to make contact with Mr. E. B. Howes.
Do let us know if we can help in the fight against this Government scheme, whether or not we be members of any of the organizaticins. Let us all get together
and take ofi the gloves. B. G. STURNHAM. London, N.W.9.
[We think that it would have been in your interest to have attended the recent meeting at Caxton Hall, previous references to which were made in our pages, and to which all hauliers were invited. However, other meetings are being organized, and you should make a point of attending any in the Metropolitan area. There may also be a big demonstration at the Albert Hall, details of which we shall, of course, publish. If you wish to write to Mr. E. B. Howes, address your letter to him care of A. Saunders and Son, Harpenden, Ltd., Southdown Road, Harpenden, Herts. He has now been appointed a liaison officer on the public relations committee of the Road Haulage Association, so that all the forces are steadily being organized.—E15.1 A PRACTICAL FREE WHEEL AND SPRAG I N your issue of December 14 I noted a short leader, "Why Not An Anti-reverse Device?" which I have read with considerable interest.
The reason "Why not" I can give quite freely—it is evident that the vehicle manufacturers do not want such a device and the users do not demand it.
Some 10 to 12 years ago at the works of Armstrong Whitworth, of Newcastle, we were producing what was known as the " Millam free wheel and sprag." This was an excellent device produced under the patents of Messrs. Millar and Lamb, of British Engines, Newcastle, and a number of these was fitted to cars and several to buses. The writer had one on his own car and found it a great benefit. It proved, however, to be too difficult to convince anyone of the utility of this gear, with the result that manufacture was discontinued.
This free wheel ancLsprag was fitted on buses running from Newcastle to London. They were operated by Orange Bros., and the gear proved to be satisfactory, most helpful to the drivers and beneficial to the trans: mission. At any rate the sprag portion of it should be compulsory. It enabled a driver to come to rest on any hill without applying his brake, whilst to start from rest he simply let in his clutch as if he were driving off on the level.
Why this device was not welcomed by the trade and the user I cannot imagine, but I feel that it was apparently 25 years too early. I feel sure that a sprag device will be applied to all heavy vehicles in the near future, and anyone who has driven a vehicle with this fitment would not, if he could get it, drive without it being in operation.
There is no doubt that if a demand were to arise for this device, Messrs. Millar and Lamb would be pleased • to revive this gear, but I am writing this letter without having consulted them in any way.
Manley, Cheshire. I. PRATT, M.I.Mech.E,