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Exercise Your Right to Object
Page 86
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"Self-preservation an Essential Doctrine for Hauliers in a Closed Industry," Says Capt. E. H. B. Palmer, O.B.E.
THE other day, in my hearing, a haulier criticized, in bitter terms,
legislation that bound those like himself hand and foot, whilst others remained as free as the air to carry on as they thought fit and with apparent immunity from unpleasant consequences. B-licensees, he said, were exceeding their conditions. Ancillary users were carrying for hire or reward, confident in the fact that, so long as they kept to the same class of goods they dealt in, the risk of discovery was remote.
So the sad tale went on. I have heard it many times. I have suggested that such irregularities should be reported and that law-abiding hauliers should employ every opportunity allowed by the Act of ridding themselves of unfair competition. One man said to me. with reference to a • " blackleg " : " Oh I don't want to report him—it's hardly cricket." Well, if my friend and others like him adopt that attitude, rather than safeguard their own intere:ts, I can say no more beyond hoping that wives and families like to play this particular kind of cricket as much as they do.
Fight Your Own Battles.
I have said it before, and I say it again: "Don't be content to let he railways fight your battles." Hitherto, it was my impression that the complaisance in this respect on the part of hauliers was confined to the Metropolitan Area. Read, then, what the Licensing Authorities in other areas have to say about it in their first annual reports:—
Northern Area: " Objections to public A and limited B carriers' licences and variations thereof numbered in all 1,858. Of this number, 1,408, or over 75 per cent., were railway objections."
Yorkshire Area: "In this area, it is noticeable that objections are almost wholly confined to the railway companies."
North-Western Area.: " The number of contested cases has amounted to approximately 7,000, but with one or two notable exceptions, road haulage contractors have not availed themselves to any great extent of the right to object to discretionary applications and the opposition has in the main come from the railway companies."
West Midland Area: "The number of objections lodged by other transport providers was comparatively small."
East Midland Area: " Relatively very few applications have been opposed by hauliers other than the railway companies."
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Eastern Area: "Objections to applications were lodged principally by the railway companies."
South Wales Area : "1,461 applications in respect of which notices of objections have been given were heard
and decided. In practically all the cases objections were lodged by the railway companies only and the number of objections lodged by road carriers is probably not more than 1 or 2 per cent, of the total number of objections."
The time has come when every haulier must look the .future squarely in the face. So far as he is concerned, that future is definitely at stake. There are still too many vehicles available for hire and still to many operators of the undesirable class. Consider, for a moment, the following extract from the report of the Western Licensing Authority :—
"The co-operation of operators is gradually being secured, but I regret to say that there are many who require a close supervision to ensure the satisfactory maintenance of their
vehicles. As regards some of these, there is good reason to believe, that this is due to uneconomic opera
tion . .• Such operators are undesirable "from every point of view . . ."
-Now let me refer you to a remark from the South-Eastern Licensing Authority :— " There can be little doubt that a • number of A licences that have been granted without bringing the applicant to a public inquiry should properly be 13 licences on the ground that the holders use vehicles in connection with some small trade or business in addition to carrying goods for hire or reward. These cases will need to be reviewed at a public inquiry on the expiry, at the end of the second year, of the A licences already granted."
Objection Syndicates.
Personally, I should like to see in every urban and rural postal district a haulage syndicate, the primary duty of which, through its members, would be to. oppose every application for additional vehicles or the relax. ing of conditions, the granting of which would involve supply exceeding demand. Most hauliers know nothing about such applications until they have been granted.
It has always seemed to me that the present form of publicity is inadequate. Only by obtaining a copy of "Applications and Decisions," as it is published, can the necessary information be secured. Apart from the railway companies, however, comparatively few A and B-licensees seek this source of information. Why not post up Part 1 of their publications, that Which advertises the actual applications, on bills outside police stations, municipal buildings and churches?
Many Operators, to-day, are guessing hard. They want to know how the A-licence holder will 'fare On application for the renewal of his licence. Some forecast a veritable slaughter. For my part, I anticipate little beyond the trimming and cutting necessary to any effort at stabilizing an industry.
At the same time, I would not lull the reader into a complete sense of security. Rather would I say to each one concerned:— "Examine your own position impartially. Take a personal audit, but deal with it impersonally. Consider the following questionnaire; it may prepare you for the probable method of attack."
Pertinent Questions.
(a) To what extent has each of your vehicles been usefully employed during the past two years? (b) How can this be proved? (c) Has your. turnover .increased in proportion with the aggregate unladen weight of your vehicles? (d) Can your work be done by any other form of transport With greater or equal economy and efficiency? (e) What special quality do you claim for your service that cannot apply to any other carrier?
. The Licensing Authority is the preeminent authority on all such matters. The knowledge which he has accumulated from evidence during the past two years is comprehensive. He is the deciding factor and he is the One who mist, therefore, be convinced. Next in the order of competent critics are the advocates who have attended these public inquiries throughout. A licensee, desiring a true appreciation of his position, should seek the opinion of one with experience.
The haulage industry of the future will be privileged. It will be a close preserve. See to it, 'then, that your own 'position is consolidated.