Mind - Your 1Vioney A - CONSIDERABLE amount of money, either in cash
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or in the form of Transport Stock, as a result of the purchase of long-distance road transport concerns and the paying-out process,• which is likely to continue for some time is burning holes in the pockets of many hundreds of haulage men. Some of those who have not disposed of all their transport and other interests have been able to switch all or a proportion of the receipts to these, but others may be looking for extraneous remunerative outlets for, in certain cases, quite
appreciable sums.
It is to the latter that we would offer a little warning. There are many sharks and " get-richquick " gentlemen always on the qui vive for such opportunities, and confidence tricksters can tell some surprisingly attractive stories frequently
bearing a strong resemblance to veracity.
Beware of the "Confidence" Man For this reason any schemes put forward by " oily " men with glib tongues, and even seemingly above-board offers, should be treated with suspicion until either the need for this is confirmed or everything is found to be in order. If the new capitalist be not fully experienced in such matters, he should certainly not rely solely upon his own judgment and acumen, but place his financial affairs in the hands of a good solicitor or agent who is in a position to institute a full inquiry.
It is obvious that some men who are placed in this quandary will wish to continue to engage in some branch of their own profession. Certain of them have already gone in for passenger transport,
but, here, again, a warning is not out of place. No one can yet say how those in this field will he affected by coming events, such as the General Election, for if this be won by the Socialists the extension 'ofnationalization will no doubt be continued until -the greater part of the company and municipal fleets is absorbed into the rapacious maw of the State.
Snags in Two Businesses Then there is the .man who may turn. to .possibilities in connection with petrol-filling stations and / or garages. So far as the former are concerned, he would do well to study the report of the Petrol Stations Technical Committee, published recently by the Stationery Office, or our summary of this contained in our issue dated July 29..
This report recommends Minirmirn-requirements for Various grades of station, and if such an .establishthent be purchased and does not measure. up to one or other of these, the new ownermay 'eventually be forced to make more or less exteitSive-alterations and additions; possibly involving a
fairly heavy cost. It may even be that some stations will become redundant.
A garage in a gOod,position is perhaps not such a gamble, but the buyer Should remember that if a considerable amount of commercial-vehicle . maintenance be undertaken, much of this may be lost if nationalization continues and expands, whilst the use of private cars will be governed by the amount of fuel available, and it seems that this is likely to be strictly limited for a period which may cover years.