Arbitrary, Unfair and Uneconomic" H AULIERS had had a raw deal.
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and their compensation had not been excessive, said Viscount Swinton, P.C., G.B.E., CH., proposing the toast of the Association at the annual luncheon of the Road Haulage Association, in London, last week. The 25-mile limit was arbitrary, unfair and uneconomic, and the dice was further loaded against the haulier by the difficulty of obtaining return loads.
Although the Lord Chancellor had given almost an assurance that the British Transport Commission would not compete in the short-distance field. it was now doing so. Free hauliers had no redress against this competition, for the Commission was a judge in its own case.
Referring to the growth of C-licence operation, Viscount Swinton said that traders were forced to buy their own vehicles because of bad service.
The Transport (Amendment) Bill was evidence that when the Conservative Party came to power, it would give a square deal to those who had remained in the industry, whilst those who' had been' swallowed up wouldlae allowed to start again on fair terms.
Mr. Frank F. Fowler, national chair
man of the Association, said that the fight was not being conducted on behalf of vested interests, but for 50,000 small men. A further year of nationalization had shown that it had failed here, as in every other country. The Government's policy was to nationalize everything in Britain—but not in Persia.
Mr. Fowler described the passing of the second reading of the Transport (Amendment) Bill in the House of Commons as a great triumph. He declared that in the committee stage it should merely have been cleaned up and returned to the House of Commons, whereas the Government-loaded committee had smashed the Bill in three sittings, thus frustrating the will ef Parliament.
Labour disliked the Road Haulage Executive quite as much as did the hauliers.
Mr. Fowler appealed to trade and industry to give every possible support to free hauliers. This was promised on behalf of the Chambers of Commerce by Lord Luke, and for the National Chamber of Trade by Sir Walter Womersley.
Mr. R. H. Farmer, vice-chairman of the Association, also spoke.