* No third term
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RHA national chairman Philip Turner gently turned aside the prospect of a third year in the chair, when he spoke at the Metropolitan and South Eastern area dinner in London on Monday. He said he was deeply moved and highly honoured to see a resolution from the area (which originally nominated him) suggesting that he should serve a further term, but even if the national executive council were to adopt the resolution, in the face of the constitutional limit of two years which officially applies, he felt the wisest course would be to decline the honour.
Mr. Turner said he thought that collaboration between himself and his successor would overcome any problems of continuity, even in such an important year as this with the Transport Bill before Parliament.
Needless to say, the Bill was a topic of the evening; Philip Turner paid tribute to the efforts of the working party chairman, John Wells, and said the "violent reactions of the Minister of Transport and her hierarchy" showed the campaign was having effect.
Area chairman Peter May had members and guests rocking with laughter when he said the 50th anniversary of the suffragette movement, when women threw themselves under the wheels of carriages to get the vote, made him think that Barbara had been born a bit too late.
After having a good slam at the "wrong motives" behind the Bill, he declared that the British road haulage industry would do well to pursue more active contact with Continental hauliers who also were getting very tired of unwarranted and unnecessary interference from Governments. Loud applause!