Pickfords "Indifferent," says Witness in Annis Case
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A LLFGATIONS of " apathy " and t—l" indifference" against Pickfords, Ltd.. were made by Mr. C. Preece, of Charles A. Preece, Ltd., Palmer's Green, London, N.13, when the application of Annis and Co., Ltd., was resumed before the Metropolitan I.icensing Authority this week. When requests for transport were made to Pickfords, he said, there was delay in obta;ning quotations. "Their attitude was not that of a firm looking for work," remarked Mr, Preece.
A witness from the Air Ministry transport contracts branch; Mr. G. Carstairs,appeared for, the applicant. He stated that Annis and Co., Ltd., had been continuously employed by the Ministry since 1941 and was at present executing an average of six tasks weekly. In 1948, £7.500 was paid to he applicant for its work, £60 being paid to E. W. Rudd, Ltd. Contracts were placed competitively, said the w imess.
In reply to Mr. D. L. McDonald, appearing for the Railway Executive, he added that he was not in a position to know whether the R.A.F. had suitable vehicles for the transport of cased aircraft.
Mr. F. Cansficld. maintenance engineer of the United Steel Companies. Scunthorpe, stated that his concern had 27 excavators and other plant requiring indivisible load carriers. The machines, which ranged in weight from 10 to 150 tons, were engaged on open-cast iron mining.
He cited an instance when a heavy piece of machinery had to be moved in the latter part of 1948. It was situated on wet ground. Pickford's, Ltd., offered to transport the dismantled parts for £4 per ton.
E. W. Rudd. Ltd.. said that it would dismantle it at a cost of £30 per day and transport the parts at £3 per ton, provided that the machine could be first moved on to a hard road.
These offers were regarded as unsatisfactory by the concern. Finally. Annis and Co.. Ltd., dismantled the machine on site and carried the parts away; at an all-in cost of .£2,000.
Mr. E. A. Simms, of the General Asphalte Co.. Ltd., said that his company had 62 pieces of plant needing low-loading trailers for transport. When haulage was required, a number of carriers used to be contacted, but since 1946 the company had offered all business first to Annis and Co.. Ltd.
Further hearings will take place on February 20 and 27 and March 7. Six more witnesses arc due to appear for the applicant and five for the objectors, the Railway and Road Haulage Exec UtiVCS.