New Minister Faces 650 Operators
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An Impressive Function Staged at Grosvenor House by Associated Road Operators and Attended by Nearly 1,000 Members and Guests
THE first public function which the new Minister of Transport, Captain Euan Wallace, MC., attended was the A.R.O. Annual Luncheon, held at Grosvenor House on Monday last, with the President, Major H. E.
Crawfurd, A.F.C., in the chair. The attendance was nearly 1,000 (including some 650 operators) which, according to the President, was the largest number that had ever faced a Minister, and compared with a total of 800 (including 500 operators). present on the previous occasion. The credit for this huge assembly lay mainly with Major Long.
The toast of H.M. Government was proposed by Major Crawfurd, who said that when a new star appears in the theatrical firmament of New York, the Press refers to a new face on Broadway. Now, we have a new face and new head on Northumberland Avenue, and we hope and urge that many more of our highways will now become " broadvvays." Mr. Burgin, like many Transport Ministers, had gone on and had not, so far as the speaker knew, cast one lingering look behind.
Major Crawfurd rejoiced with the railways in the recent improvement in their traffic returns. Road and railway returns rise and fall together, according to the general trade of the country. He was glad of the prospect of stable conditions for both forms of transport, and he realized that stable rates, under parallel conditions, were good for both and advantageous to the trading community as a whole. No self-respecting trader would desire his goods to be carried by those who could not make a livelihood out of their work.
The railways had made it perfectly 'clear that trading under equal conditions is what they require ; but what are equal conditions? He imagined himself setting out hand in hand with Lord Stamp, with Messrs. Sewill and Sewell trotting behind, making their way to Mr. Gleeson Robinson's office, he for approval to operate two more lorries, and Lord Stamp for two more locomotives and half a dozen goods wagons, both sides fearing that some ill-conditioned fellow would appear to argue that there was a redundancy of lorries, Incomotives or trucks, and even if Lord Stamp said that coal trucks were not suitable for fish, his application might be refused.
Freedom Must Apply to Road and Rail.
Unless freedom of the railways from obsolete conditions, to which the road side has given approval, were followed soon by freedom of road operators from their restrictive conditions, there could be no trading on equal terms.
Referring to the speed limit of 20 m.p.h. on heavy lorries, he said that every night lorries started from New York for Atlanta, Georgia-900 miles away—with a guarantee to give delivery on the second morning. With modern vehicles, 20 m.p.h. was antediluvian, and even a source of positive danger in fast traffic.
Uneconomic rates were bad, and were the parents of excessively long hours and low wages, and the A.R.O. took a large part in promoting the Road Transport Wages Act.
The Association's particular business was to reach the
unorganized. It was doing its best in helping the emergency scheme—and this at some expense to itself.
The advance of road transport had been exceptional compared with that of many other industries. This was greatly due to Mr. Sewill, whose constructive work was beyond all praise. He hoped that, one day, it would receive the public recognition it deserves.
In reply, the Minister of Transport said that he would remember with gratitude the offer to place the services of A.R.O. at the disposal of the country and the Ministry in an emergency.
Newcomers to Government Departments usually had no special knowledge, but brought fresh minds and some political experience, but a newcomer, in the early stages, was placed in the invidious position of telling his grandmother, to suck eggs.
Value of Unity in the Industry.
He stressed the great value of dealing with an organization formed by a trade itself, and not one which had been forced upon it from outside, also of the trade being able to speak with at least a limited number of voices. There was great value in unity, but he did not mean by this that the number of owners should be curtailed or that the small owner should fear being swallowed.
He submitted that the licensing system affords a large measure of security of tenure to the smaller-man, but the latter was greatly handicapped if he played a lone hand.
Many operators had unimpeachable records in the directions of wages, conditions of service and standard of maintenance, but others have to be led or driven in order to assist in maintaining a general high standard.
The grouping scheme was making excellent progress, but many individuals had not yet joined. He wished to emphasize that there was no interference with operation in peace time, but that road transport could give vast and vital assistance in time of war.
An excellent result of the recent road and rail inquiry was the frank interchange of views by interests normally in competition, and it was a good omen that the chairmen of the two sides had names differing only by one letter.
He paid tribute to the Alness Report on Road Accidents, but acceptance by the Lords did not mean unanimous approval in other quarters. Some of the proposals were not practicable for financial and other reasons, but he assured his listeners that every paragraph of the Report would be closely examined, and the suggestions adopted where considered advantageous.
In the building of roads there was no suggestion of importance which was not part of the programme of the Ministry. Of the 8,000 miles of trunk roads, 885 were of new construction, and it was hoped to put in hand 15 major schemes in the coming year.
Sir Ralph Wedgwood, representing the railways, gave the toast of the chairman. He said that he was afraid that the railways were not loved, but he hoped for constructive work for the two industries by Messrs. Sewill and Sewell. In thanking Major Crawfurd, he was also speaking for the 700 road operators, whom he surveyed with great respect.