A Champion of Nationalization T HE shortcomings of British Road Services
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are frequently given prominence in your journal, of which I have been a reader for many years. Many of the criticisms are obviously written by ex-hauliers who have been acquired. Would it be asking too much of you to give a little prominence to the other side of the story?
As a driver with over 20 years' service in the haulage industry, who awaited with trepidation the prospect of being nationalized, I must say that, having experienced it, I would not voluntarily return to " free enterprise "— a complete misnomer, if ever there was one. There is certainly nothing "free" about it, but if "enterprise" means exploiting men and overloading machines, and the " sack " for a man who dares to protest, then the haulage industry, generally, is very enterprising.
Please do not imagine that I have some particular grievance to exploit. There were good employers and bad ones, but not enough of the former. to make up for the bad. Would I that my pen were as clever as those of your contributors who put the case "against." I -would, however, venture the opinion that had the longdistance haulage industry, when under private control, adhered to the legal conditions retarding loading of machines, and drivers' hours, to mention only two items, as does B.R.S., then the margin of profit would have been much smaller.
There is a class of man who wants to return to private control, those whom we know as the "fly by nights," who want to work day and night, who earned £20 per week and were paid £13 or £14, and thought that they were doing well. They were—for their bosses.
It will be admitted by any fair-minded man, that conditions to-day under B.R.S. are better than private employers would offer. We are not compelled to drive unroadworthy vehicles, we have recognized trade union representation at every level in case of difficulty and,
generally speaking, inure time with our families. To any man who is prepared to pull his weight B.R.S. gives a fair crack of the whip, and when the organization is controlled throughout by men who really want to make a go of it, and I mean operating as well as administrating staff, then undoubtedly the anomalies that exist to-day against service and efficiency will disappear.
I would dearly love to answer some of the critics who rave about excessive speed and the frequenting of cafes, etc., but I realize that space is at a premium and I wit. be agreeably surprised if I see this effort in print.
London, S.W.9. G. J. HAMMOND.
[Mr. Hammond and others amongst our readers, need not be surprised at our publishing his letter. These columns . are open to all, and we refuse to publish opinions only when they are likely to be considered libellous, damaging, or . contain nothing of real interest to our readers. Mr_ Hammond is quite entitled to state his views.—ED.I