A United Association for Hauliers
Page 42
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TEE president of the council of the Long Distance Road Haulage Association, Mr. E. C. Marston, made two important pronouncements at the first annual dinner of the North-western Area Section, held at Liverpool on April 2nd.
For some time, he said, negotiations had been proceeding with the Short Distance Hauliers Alliance, and arrangements had now been completed whereby the two organizations would be merged, or, rather, the Short Distance Alliance would be embraced by the Long Distance Haulage Association. The new title would be The Road Ilaulag,e Association. This was exclusively announced by The Commercial Motor last week.
The Association could, Mr. Marston continued, claim to represent haulage contractors of all classes, whether engaged on long-distance or short-distance work, provided that they were hauling goods for profit, and excluding ancillary users. The interests of the ancillary user and those of the haulage contractor were by no means identical, as the transport of the former operator was often subsidized by the industrial side of his business.
There had been an announcement in the Press, he continued, concerning the committee which had been set up by the Minister of Transport to consider the road-rail problem. In the first place, the Minister invited a meeting of representatives of the Railway Association, the Standing Joint Committee of Mechanical Road Transport Associations, and the Long Distance Road Haulage Association. At that meeting the Railway Association had four representatives, and the Long Distance Haulage Association three delegates, but the Standing Joint Committee bad many more members.
When the Minister of Transport invited nominations for the final committee, the railway companies proposed four members and the Standing Joint Committee four, but he (Mr. Marston) was astonished to find that opposition to the Long Distance Road Haulage Association having representation came not from the railway companies, but from the Standing Joint Committee.
Sir Josiah Stamp had said that if the Long Distance Haulage Association claimed to represent the railway companies' competitors, then it should be on the committee.
Lieut.-Col. Sandeman Allen, M.P., advised the road-transport interests not to spoil their case by over-zealous propaganda. He expressed the hope that the Association would form a sub-committee to watch progress in the extraction of oil from British coal by the low-temperature-carbonization process. If means could be found whereby the road-transport industry could put the coal trade on its feet again, it would help materially to restore national prosperity.
The function was attended by 120 guests, chief amongst whom were the Lord Mayor of Liverpool and Mr. H. H. Nuttall, who acted as director of ceremonies. Mr. H. Allan, chairman of the North-western Area Committee, presided. It was announced during the evening that the North Staffs Haulage Contractors Clearing House had sent a donation of £25 to the Association, and had promised a cheque for a further similar amount, if anyone else would also forward £25.