Propaganda for Road Transport
Page 31
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N0 one can deny, or fail to be impressed by, the efficiency of the propaganda departments of the railways. Even the British Broadcasting Corporation is inveigled into the net and induced to broadcast publicity matter concerning a book recently issued free by the railways purely as an advertising medium. The Corporation has assured inquirers that no consideration of any kind was received by it for giving this remarkable example of free publicity. Accepting this as being strictly true, merely emphasizes the cleverness with which the campaign is carried on in every direction.
Despite the fact that the railways—important as they are—are much below the figure for road transport in respect of the number of employees ( being little more than half), how often one sees in the daily Press flattering references to railway activities, speed records, alterations in equipment and a host of -other items, whilst road transport is sometimes ignored, of ten castigated and but seldom praised. Our highly efficient vehicles, often marvels of engineering and capable of holding their own against all others in the world, are referred to as juggernauts, road monsters and by other terms calculated to convey the impression of danger and general unworthiness.
It is high time that all this should be changed, and herein lies a great opportunity for action by any great combination of road-transport interests which may arise out of the present negotiations. The British Road Federation itself has accomplished a certain amount of good in this cause, but seeing that it represents practically every important trade and industry throughout the country, it should be able to do far more.
The railways profess poverty and are unable to pay more than meagre dividends, but they can afford to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds in general advertising, much of which can be employed as a lever in inducing the acceptance of items for which free publicity is desired.
The secret of the power of the railways in this matter is unity, and until the whole of road transport can present a united front, its constituent sections will be subjected to browbeating, and its rightful pleas treated with something akin to ignominy.