" Free " Hauliers' Fears Unjustified?
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THERE is no question of the Road I Transport Executive's coming to loggerheads with "free" hauliers. Major-General Sir H. Reginald Kerr, K.B.E., C.B., M.C., newly appointed divisional manager, Midlands Division, R.T.E., stressed this point in a speech at a dinner of the Birmingham sub-area of the Road Haulage Association, last Saturday.
He expressed appreciation of the co-operation that had already been demonstrated by the R.H.A. and the Association's promise of future aid, and said that the R.T.E. and the R.H.A. were in the same type of business and would run on parallel lines.
Sir Reginald Kerr was replying to a toast by Mr. H. Herringshaw, A.M.I.T.A., vice-chairman of the Birmingham sub-area, who had assured the R.T.E. that "we wish you well." and had called for vision from all co-anected with road haulage. He declared that the free haulier had been afraid of being "out for a pound" and that he was now afraid of being "out for
nowt" by the force of overwhelming competition.
Aid. J. C. Burman, J.P., Lord Mayor of Birmingham, enlarged on the essential part played by road transport in maintaining production and expressed appreciation of the lorry driver, who could be depended upon to get through even in the worst weather conditions. To help the haulier, plans were progressing to build a ring road by-passing the centre streets and city shopping area.
Mr. R. N. Ingram, chairman of Birmingham sub-area, outlined the struggles of road transport against restrictive legislation in the past and the part played by the R.H.A. He said that, notwithstanding the history of the relationships of his Association with the Ministry of Transport and later the R.T.E., the organization of the R.H.A. was at the disposal of the R.T.E. He expressed the earnest hope that competition between the free haulier and the R.T.E. would be keen, but never bitter.