Co-operate with FTA but don't fuse
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DELEGATES at the conference this week have had a unique insight into the development of the road haulage industry and the RHA. And this account of the last 50 years when the industry was in its infancy and the RHA wasn't even in existence was not a researched resume – it was from personal experience.
George Quick Smith introduced his speech by commenting that it doesn't do any harm to sit back and review what has gone before. "Although it is a mistake to be pre-occupied with the past, it is foolhardy to igno-re the lessons that history can teach," he said. "Road transport as we know it today may be a product of the twentieth century but its roots are deeply embedded in the history of our country."
The First World War gave a boost to motorised road transport and in the years that followed the industry really took off, recalled Mr Quick Smith. He continued: "If the 1920s witnessed the phenomenal and disorderly growth of road transport, the 1930s saw the chickens come home to roost on a quite fantastic scale. Overloading of vehicles, excessive speeds, long driving hours and low wages were evils which led to the appointment of a Royal Commission in 1929 and the passing of the Transport Acts of 1930 and 1933."
Rate-cutting was rife with hauliers competing fiercely not only among themselves but also against the railways. The A, B, C licensing system introduced under the 1933 Act stemmed the growth of hire and reward vehicles which were subject to the difficult-to-obtain A and B licences, but not own-account operators who could get C licences easily.
By the outbreak of the Second World War the road haulage industry was relatively stable, said Mr Quick Smith. On January 1, 1945, the various segmented trade associations were merged to form the Road Haulage Association and this had remained basically the same ever since.
In the Post-War years, remarked Mr Quick Smith, road and rail actually worked together more closely, unified in their fear and hate of nationalisation. This co-operation didn't work — nationalisation came with the 1947 Transport Act. There was a section of the RHA membership that advocated what almost amounted to "civil disobedience" remembered George Quick Smith, in order to slow the march of nationalisation.
Between 1948 and 1951 nearly 4,000 haulage businesses were acquired with over 40,000 vehicles. Nationalisation of course split the RHA, with the nationalised vehicles coming under the BRS fleet and therefore being outside the RHA.
But the 1953 Transport Act denationalised half of the BRS fleet and, said Mr Quick Smith, "the independent sector regained much of its old strength; the RHA became more mature; and in the early 1960s the public and private sectors gradually learned to live together," Mentioning some of the characters that have played their part over the years, Mr Quick Smith also noted that "a debt of gratitude is due to the trade press who so nobly supported our endeavours." As regards individual honours he commented: "It is regrettable that names of those in the private sector have appeared so seldom in the Honours Lists. Despite the part played by the industry in the war, there was a conspicuous absence of hauliers in successive lists intended specifically to accord recognition of services in wartime." Apparently, the (unofficial) reason given for this ommission was that recognition was impossible after such a virulent anti-nationalisation campaign.
After the war, Mr Quick Smith himself was a great advocate of greater international unity in road transport and was strongly in favour of standardising and liberalising the various countries' construction and use regulations, and at the same time updating them. He commented: "These efforts gradually achieved some success, though the task isn't finished yet."
George Quick Smith also proposed the constitution that led to the establishment of the Interna
tional Road Transport Union 1948. "The wide interest today international affairs is in w come contrast to the apathy those days when I felt 1 xr■ fighting a losing battle."
Having given the delega this potted history, Mr Qu Smith attempted to draw soi lessons from the past. He two'main points at the top of list.
First, he stressed that the dustry should never again all itself to be split as it was at time of nationalisation. He ci tinued: "I suggest that the clr association between the pul and private sectors today 'source of strength and of mut benefit; this should be enhan■ by 'privatisation' under the 11 Act."
Mr Quick Smith's second m important lesson was that road haulage industry m have an organisation that spe solely on behalf of the pro. sional haulier.
"The absence of such a vc could have been calamitous years ago when life and de issues were at stake. We skii the abyss; do not return to precipitous edge and repeat mistakes of history.
"It is in my view a mistaki dilute the strength by incluc own-account operators in same organisation. They h much in common, but basic their interests are different.
However, Mr Quick Smith much to be gained from cl co-operation between the F and FTA, and indeed, why with the road passenger tn port industry as well? "T have common enemies to re common ground to defend common interests to develi
And whenever there is g 'reason, the RHA should forces with other organisat such as the Chartered lnstitu. Transport, British Road Fed tion and the Confederatior British Industry, suggested Quick Smith.
He concluded: "To effective, the RHA must strong in numbers so as to date its claim to speak for whole industry. But I have sr doubts as to the wisdom of a matic admission — it should privilege to be a member, privileges must be matched responsibilities. The ASSOCiE ought to be boldly selective is to maintain its professi status."
A report of the RHA confer, debate will appear in r week's CM.