Railway Inconsistency Exposed
Page 43
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A PROTEST against the inConsistency of the railway attitude was made by Mr. Ian Macaulay, appearing for an applicant before the North-Western Deputy Licensing Authority, at Liverpool. Mr. W. A. Sutton, 7, Lea. Green Road, St. Helens, applied for an A licence for a 3/-ton vehicle on taking over the busi-: ness of Messrs. Potts and Bernard. For the railways, Mr. C. R. Hodgson contended that the business which applicant was taking over was, one which had been working entirely for clearing houses, and the Appeal Tribunal had said that there was no goodwill attached to this type of business, unless a haulier had been carrying for clearing houses regularly for a number of years. He submitted that the business applicant proposed taking over was founded, more or leas, on work
for clearing houses, Moreover, the applicant agreed that he did not propose continuing this type of haulage, but intended to use the vehicle to carry goods for a company for which he, in partnership with others, already carried. He contended that applicant was not, therefore, continuing the old business, but was changing its character altogether.
Mr. Macaulay contended that, if the Authority was going to find that the mere fact of a haulier carrying for a clearing house was sufficient ground for refusing a licence, he would, indeed, be bringing about aa revolution in the 00nm:wee df this country. The _term "clearing house" " was really only another name for a forwarding agent, and as such they had, for many years past, been a part of the .commercial life of the country.
Sir William Hart remarked that there had been a certain amount of change in the character of the business.
Mr. Macaulay agreed, but he thought it was a change which the Authority and the objectors ought to welcome, because the applicant was transferring from a certain type of transport, which they considered undesirable, to
a more desirable form. If he continued the business as hitherto, the fact that it was work for clearing houses would be used by the objectors as an argument against him acquiring the licence.
The application was granted.