R,H.A. Holds its First Conference on Policy

1st October 1948, Page 155

1st October 1948

Page 155

Page 156

Page 155, 1st October 1948 — R,H.A. Holds its First Conference on Policy

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Hauliers Urged to Oppose All Applications to Licensing Authoritiq by R.T.E.

THE future-of the road transport industry, especially the section that will be working within the 25-mile zone, was the subject of keen discussion at a policy-making conference held by the Road Haulage Association in Edinburgh on Thursday and Friday of last week. Opening the proceedings the chairman, Mr: B. G. Turner, described it as an histOric occasion, being

the first time the Association had arranged such a gathering. , Delegates consisted of the national council, with additional representatives from the various areas. Over 200 were present at the various sessions. Distant areas were well represented. Amongst their delegates was Mr. A. Mackay, of Kirkwall, who raised a laugh when he said the 25-mile radius presented no difficulties to the Orkney operator, as if he ran beyond that distance he would be in the sea; nevertheless he felt it his duty to stand lirm with his fellow hauliers.

THE Association must do all possible to preserve the greatest measure of free enterprise in road transport, said Mr. J. A. M. Bright, addressing the first general session. It must afford opportunities to those confined to 25 miles, to offer service as good as that of "the other side." At least 85 per cent. of Aand B-licence operators would not be taken over by the Commission, he estimated, and all would have to find their business within the 25-mile zones.

The Association leaders should also examine the possibilities of getting help from the authorities for the small men who were finding some of their traffic going to undertakings that had already been acquired. Those who would ultimately be taken over would find that as a result of this they would not obtain the compensation to which they were properly entitled.

As many members of the trading community were not aware that any private haulier would continue in business, one of the first objectives of the Association should be to clarify the poSition by propaganda and publicity.

The Appointed Day

The "appointed day" might be years ahead, for it would not be fixed until the Road Transport Executive was certain of being able to carry all traffic offered, continued Mr. Bright. When the scheme came into force some operators would inevitably find they had lost business. A sphere in which there were possibilities for these hauliers was the railways' collection and delivery service.

When discussions with the railway general managers took place two years ago, the idea was mooted that this work should be passed to the hauliers, and he was amazed at the reception it received, Mr. Bright added. This was a matter of millions of tons, and efforts should be made to re-open those discussions.

Mr. Bright appealed for full support for the Association, saying that many operators had more vehicles than before the war, and possible redundancy had to be considered. Things would be worse if there were competition to secure the available business, and he suggested some accommodative arrangement.

The Conseivative Party was investigating the possibility of altering the present position if it were returned•to power. Without being such a pessimist as to imagine nothing could be done, he would not suggest that a stroke of the pen could unravel the effects of the Transport Act. The £2,000,000,000 paid by an unwilling public for the purchase of the railways could not be jeopardized by any Government.

Can the Act be Undone?

Mr. C. Holdsworth spoke of the position of the operator who was taken over, and said that, so far as his organization was concerned, it had 70 vehicles left to work within the 25-mile zone, it was doubtful whether the Conservative Party could undo the Act.

Mr. E. Taylor urged the need for a fighting policy without collaboration with the powers-that-be.

Mr. Winterbottom said that nobody yet knew which years were to be taken into account in calculating the profit element. Abstraction of traffic now would cause a drop in compensation if the present years came into the calculations.

VVJISUALIZING competition between the R.T.E. and the Railway Executive, Mr. Frank F. Fowler, principal speaker at the second conference session, foresaw that there might be a pretty battle between the two, by which the road haulage industry might benefit.

The present was, perhaps, road transport's darkest hour, but there was a great future for the industry, although that future was for operators themselves to create. If the merger had taken place earlier, no government would have dared to take away from the public the benefits that the road transport industry had conferred upon it.

However, the burdensome regulations of previous governments would now fall upon the State-owned trahsport machine, so that possibly some amelioration might be expected. After long years the Ministry of Transport was now saying that there was a case for raising the speed limit of heavy goods vehicles to 30.m.p.h., Hauliers had to maintain contact with the powers-that-be, for they were part of the national transport system,and those. contacts could not be avoided. There would be 100..000 vehicles carrying on in the limited zones of the future, and hauliers must develop contacts with trade and industry Use Local Transport

Traders, if they did not take advantage of private transport locally, would be hastening the day of their own nationalization.

Rate cutting must be exterminated. There was no reason, said Mr. Fowler, why rates should not be sacrosanct in an area, and in contiguous areas. It was better that 20 per cent. of the fleet should stay in the depot than that there should be rate-cutting or the whole fleet running under-loaded.

Referring to the test cases which began in London on Monday last, Mr. Fowler said that the Association had felt that the fight between private enterprise and the Road Transport Executive was so important that it had briefed Sir David Maxwell Fyfe to take the case.

Whenever the R.T.E. applied for an operating base in any part of the country, he hoped that the application would be opposed with all possible strength.

A Vast Task

He felt that the applications of the R.T.E.before the various Licensing Authorities could not be completed until 1949, so that some time must elapse before the Transport Act became effective. The Executive did not appear to have appreciated the size of the task it had undertaken—even that which concerned only the setting up of a longdistance transport organization. The position of the rest of the industry was becoming more . favourable as time went on.

The country would soon find itself in an emergency, thought Mr. Hartley Wilkinson. and when the State asked for help the industry's side of the case should be presented. He believed that the political situation would alter within 13 months and there would then be a better opportunity of promoting amending legislation.

Mr. L. Ward suggested that hauliers must demand from the British Transport Commission the right to handle all traffic of the trader, the Commission to carry long-distance traffic as agent of the haulier. The C-licence operator shbuld have to prove need for his vehicles; the Traders' Road Transport Association ought to investigate the position, otherwise the B.T.C. would bo doing it for them.

Mr. Fowler agreed with another speaker that some sort of " police " force was required to keep the odd 10 per cent, of the industry in order. There could not be freedom in rates, for rate cutting to keep one man's fleet employed meant cutting rates all round. The R.H.A. should cooperate with the T.R.T.A. on all levels, for the C-licence holder was the greatest possible bulwark between the haulier and the Ministry of Transport.

THE Press was not admitted to the third session, which dealt with R.H.A. domestic matters. In a notice issued afterwards, it was stated that Mr.

H. G. Turner stressed the importance of hauliers having a strong organization to safeguard their interests and to negotiate with bodies such as the Ministry of Transport and the British Transport Commission.

The R.H.A. was now stronger than ever, but consideration must be given to changes in its structure, which should be made in order to meet problems arising largely as a result of the Transport Act. Details of points arising during the discussion are to hs circulated to R.H.A, areas for consideration.

OVER 200 members and friends were present at a dinner held at the Freemasons' Hail, Edinburgh, when Mr. John Strang, Scottish area chairman, presided.

Mr. James Amos, director of the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd. and chairman of the Scottish section Of the Institute of Transport, said he knew of no body of men whose services deserved more credit. He had started his career as a haulage contractor and it was a source of pride to him that hauliers hod done so much to build up the country's transport industry.

Whatever the B.T.C. paid for the businesses that it took over would not. be enough: they were flourishing Concerns, run by men who were the salt of the earth.

Mr. B. G. Turner referred to the success of the conference and said that the introduction of additional delegates had been well received.

Mr. Hartley Wilkinson said hauliers came out of the 1914-18 war a humble people and had built themselves up: now they had lost a fight against a power with a non-representative outlook.

Mr. B. Winterbottom said they had not lost the fight against nationalization, but only the first battle.