Yorkshire Associations Insist on Merger
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ANOTHER move towards a merger of associations, both in Yorkshire and nationally; was made at it mass meeting in Leeds, on Tuesday night, under the auspices of A.R.O. A resolution was passed in favour of setting up a Yorkshire committee representative of all organizations in the area, with a view to the merging of interests in Yorkshire and the bringing of pressure to bear to•secure national unity.
A noteworthy feature of the meeting was a speech by Mr. R. W. Sewill, national director of A.R.O., in which he spoke strongly in favour of a merger with the C.M.11.A.
During the meeting it was mentioned that negotiations have been proceeding with a view to a merger between two Associations; these, it is learned, are the C.M.U.A. and the Yorkshire Stage Carriage Operators Association, which has about 2,000 members, including operators of both passenger and goods vehicles. It was gathered on Tuesday night that the negotiations were not concluded.
It was decided that arrangements be made for another mass meeting of operators, at which officers of A.R.O., C.M.U.A, Y.S.0 .0. A . , Yorkshire Motor Coach Owners, Ltd., and Sheffield Horse and Motor Owners Association should be invited to speak on the question of amalgamation.
Mr. R. Barr, a member of the national council of A.R.O., who presided, explained that at a Bradford meeting of representatives of the various Associations it was decided that, in Yorkshire, all the organizations should form a committee, and that the whole of the funds in Yorkshire should go into a pool, until a national merger bad been effected. This decision had not been carried into effect, but A.R.O. was still prepared to carry it out.
Mr. Sewill remarked that he believed it had been said in Yorkshire that he was one of the stumbling blocks to the original scheme for the amalgamation of the C.M.U.A., the Road Haulage Association and the Motor Hirers and Coach Services Association (the two latter bodies have now been united in A.R.O. ). It is not true," he added, " and I can prove that I worked for 15 months for that amalgamation."
Mr. Sewill further stated that A.R.O. is to submit its policy on wages and conditions to the employers' panel of the National Conciliation Board, on December 18. The Association supported voluntary machinery, but it should be Made to work. The Area Boards should he fully represented on the National Board and they should have more power, whilst wages should he revised. The A.R.O. had radical proposals to secure the enforcement. of lair wages.
Referring to the protest concerning radio publicity for the railways, Mr. Sewill remarked that a road-transport broadcast, on the lines of " Railway Rhythm," was being prepared,