Controllers Fraternize
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UNIT controllers of Liverpool (10Q) last Week entertained their colleagues of .10S (Warrington and district) to a luncheon.
Mr. T. H. Allan, who presided, said that the gathering was one more expression of the good fellowship which existed between a number of men who might never have met if they had not had the misfortune to be unit controllers.
"Road transport must be freed from the present undue regulations and restrictions," said Mr. Allan. " It must become once again an independent industry. We are prepared to put up with a certain amount of control, but the industry must be controlled by the industry, and not by the Government. It must be an industry built up by free and private enterprise, the chief quality of which is service to the community.
" The overhaul of the whole of the licensing system will require attention, and more publicity sponsored by the national associations is needed to make the public realize that road transport is a vigorously competitive, natural system of transport, _Publicity must be used to refute certain claims, such as have lately been put forward by the railway companies.
" Another requirement is a rates structure. Rates should be published, so that the transport buyer will be assured that his competitor across the way is not obtaining a more favourable rate for transPort than he is. At. the same time.it should put a stop to th it same transport buyer playing off one haulier against another and trying to make his profits out of cut rates. la my opinion, the acceptance of an agreed' rates schedule should be an essential condition of holding a licence."
Mr. T. H. Prince said that when the end of the war came the industry should go ahead with its projects to bring controls to an end and provide opportunities for the re-birth of private enterprise.
Mr. C.. J. de Burgh, Area Road Haulage Officer, commented on the colossal job of work which had been done by carriers in the North-Western Traffic Area, but especially by those in the South-West Lancashire district. Compared with other areas, there had been some amazing traffic performances. He hoped that the Government would . always recognize the merit of the service of those hauliers who had consistently put national interests before all others, Unit controllers had been asked at times to do things which were not always in 'their companies' interests, and they never wavered in their loyalty to the national need.