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S.T.R.'s First Lancashire Tour I N the amount of interest evoked,
Page 75
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the first tour in Lancashire by S.T.R., T he Commercial Motor costs expert, vied with that in Yorkshire about a year ago.
The opening meeting was at Burnley, where Mr. T. Bentham, chairman of the local C.M.U.A. division, presided. S.T.R. 's address covered not only the straightforward problem of rates and their relation to• operating cost, but also dealt with a simple method of recording costs.
Questions covered a wide field, including references to comparisons between oil-engined and petrol-engined vehicles; the fluctuation of maintenance cost during the life of a vehicle and ancillary users' overheads. An ancillary user present said that he hoped to be able to invite S.T.R. to lecture before the local chamber of commerce.
At Blackburn there was an audience of about 100 keenly interested hauliers. Mr. Ainsworth, the local chairman, was in the chair, and was supported by Mr. Kinder, Mr. Campbell and Mr. Livesey. In addition to the usual run of questions, there was one asking for assistance in allocating costs in the case of a vehicle breaking down and the load having to be transhipped. With this problem S.T.R. was able to deal to the complete satisfaction of the inquirer.
At Preston, the meeting was under the auspices of the Preston and District Road Transport Licence Holders Association, a local body incorporating members of both the C.M.U.A. and A.R.O. About 30 hauliers were present, under the chairmanship of Mr. T. A. Titchener, of Blackpool.
Questions turned on the comparative economy of various sizes of vehicle, and
on the wisdom, in the case of the less. expensive chassis, of i-eplacing annually, thus diminishing maintenance costs at the expense of depreciation.
The C.M.U.A. meeting at Oldham was held on the night of a blizzard, which seriously depleted the audience. Mr. W. Patton was in the chair. Mr. J. S. Howarth, secretary of the division, and Mr. Farnorth, organizer, were also present One of the questions asked was of outstanding interest and concerned the capacity of a certain operator to build up a business, whilst working at rates below those recommended by the lecturer.
S.T.R. began by pointing out that be could not be expected to accept, unsupported by figures, the bare statement that a rate was profitable. It might be, nevertheltss, that in a particular branch of the industry, overheads were low, and that circumstance would assist an operator to quote more favourable terms.
About 40 members of the local branch of the C.M.U.A. and the NorthWest Lancashire Hauliers Association were present at the Lancashire meeting.
No direct questions were forthcoming from the audience; instead, the meeting ended in such a way that members of the audience were able to stay behind and discuss matters of interest. In this way S.T.R. was able to solve quite a number of problems, particularly some turning on rates for municipal haulage and furniture removals.
Mr. C. M. Gilbert, chairman, said that he could not think of a better way for an important journal, such as The Commercial Motor, to serve the industry than in arranging for S.T.R. to tour the country giving lectures.