Ratepayers Condemn State Transport
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.Eastern Area Scheme Not Yet Prepared : Resistance Movement Gains Impetus
ACONFERENCE of the National Union of Ratepayers' Associations and Local Government League, attended by over 150 delegates from all parts of the country, last week unanimously passed a resolution declaring that the nationalization of road passenger transport was contrary to the public interest.
The conference also pledged itself to Mr. H. O'Hear, broadcaster on fight the confiscation of municipal economic and industrial subjects, said undertakings, and the abolition of local that the north-east plan was experi control of fares and the provision, mental and its reception would be a financing and administration of services model of what would take place in the essential to the community, rest of the country. Mr. Horace Morgan, chairman of the Mr. F Milton, honorary secretary of Union, said that the conditions for the the Conference, expressed the belief
nationalization of road passenger transport were completely without warrant. He pointed out that municipal undertakings were assets of great potential value, for, in many instances, they contributed large sums to the relief of rates.
Eastern Area Developments
Great dissatisfaction is being expressed in East Anglia regarding the methods being used by the Road Passenger Executive in preparing an area scheme. The meetings with local authorities, listed in " The Commercial Motor last week, are being held in private_ Mr. George Cardwell. chadrman of the Road Passenger Executive, and members, of the R.P.E. are conducting the negotiations with local authorities. The British Transport Commission stated last Saturday that "no form of scheme has yet been decided upon, as it is considered essential that the views and representations of all concerned should be taken into .account before a scheme is prepared."
Meetings held during the past fortnight by the Passenger Vehicle Operators' Association in Northampton, Cambridge, Peterborough, King's Lynn, Norwich, Bury St. Edmunds, Ipswich and Chelmsford have been satisfactorily attended and resolutions pledging those present to resist nationalization have been passed. The local Press has also responded well and the breezy speeches of Mr. John Birch, chairman of the Association, have made headlines. Action sub-committees have been set up in the various centres.
Good work is also being done by the Omnibus Passengers' Protection Association.
It is understood that all the seven transport-owning authorities in the eastern area will fight nationalization.
Fight Goes on in the North
Speaking at an open meeting of the Independent Bus Operators' Conference. formed at Newcastle-on-Tyne to oppose nationalization of road passenger transport in the north-east, Mr. R. W. D. Graham, chairman, commented that too many operators believed that the area scheme was already "cut and 'dried." This he denied and .pointed out that if operators were united in their opposition, it would be difficult to put any scheme into force.
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that the organization would become a strong national movement.
In its preliminary observations on the précis of the northern area scheme, the P.V.O.A. maintains that it (is too vague and that representations cannot be made at this stage without knowledge of the full proposals. The Association also declares that the proposals are harsh, unpractical and unnecessary, and that the precis does not show the necessity or desirability of a scheme for the northern area.
Gateshead Town Council has accepted the principle of nationalization, but in the neighbouring town of Whitley Bay the general purposes committee has rejected it.
Councils all over the country are considering the principle of nationalization and Reading Corporation is 'amongst those which are not immediately threatened, but are antagonistic. According to ." The Western Mail," Cardiff c
'Transport Committee is "pratically unanimous" in its desire to retain control of its transport undertaking. but Mr. Maurice Selby, chairman of Newport Transport Committee, is reported as saying that discussions will not alter the fact that the [Newport] undertaking will eventually be taken over."
Old Scheme Revived
Some time ago certain local authorities in South Wales put forward an area scheme to the B.T.C. and were rebuffed. They sought to acquire company services in the area, as well as to retain substantial control of their .own systems. It appears that these proposals are to be considered further by councils in South Wales.
0.P.P.A. is active in the area and has headquarters in Cardiff. Branch committees have been set up in Barry, Bridgend, Cardiff, Ebbw Vale, Llanelly, Maesteg, Monmouth, Newport, Porthcawl, Swansea and Tredegar.
A debate on passenger transport nationalization is to take place to-day on the B.B.C. Home Service for the North of England. Those taking part will be Major G. W. Hayter, general manager of the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., Mr. S. C. Hills, secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union, Newcastle, and Mr. H., Simm, former chairman of Newcastle-on-Tyne Transport Committee.
Seddon Chassis to be Built in India
SEDDON chassis are to be assembled for the Indian market by Hindustan Aircraft, Ltd., Bangalore. The company has widespread interests and many thousands of employees on its pay roll. The arrangement, it is understood, will operate for a minimum period of two years.'
It is reported that discussions are also taking place with a view to a possible agreement for the Hindustan concern to build the Seddon aluminium-framed body for use on all makes of chassis.
Airflow Transport (India), Ltd., Bombay and Bangalore, will continue to be the sole Seddon concessionnaire for India. About 150 Seddon vehicles are stated to be operating there.
Following upon restrictions in the import of complete chassis to this market, Mr. Robert Seddon and Mr. Herbert Seddon have recently paid business visits to India.
SUCCESS OF SCOTTISH SHOW By Monday -evening it was generally agreed in Scotland that the Show at Kelvin Hall had already achieved great success. The attendance last Saturday was almost overwhelming, being over 26,000, whilst Monday's gate was over 14,000.
At least in the commercial-vehicle field the interest was not merely theoretical; as mentioned by the Scottish Motor Trade Association president, Mr. T. Corrie, representatives from 12 overseas countries attended to make important and genuine inquiries.
Because of the large number of vehicles displayed by agents, there were, in some cases, more types to be seen than at Earls Court, although, perhaps, not so many makes.
Appreciation was expressed of the standardized stand fittings, and the decoration of the hall, all of which were simple but effective. The differences in the prices, compared with those charged at Earls Court, were amazing—in fact, Many exhibitors expressed considerable discontent with what they had to pay for almost similar or smaller accommodation in London.