M r. Sewill's Coming Report to A.R.O.
Page 20
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A REPORT has beep prepared by tl 'Mr. Roger . Sewill, National Director of A.R.O., fot the a..g.m. of that body, which will be held on August 2.3. He points out ,that one Government Road Haulage Scheme has been abandoned, and another has taken its place. The old one, under which the Chartered Fleet and the Hauliers' National • Traffic Pool were to-run in harness, has been attacked, 'all'th'e more fiercely, perhaps, because it apparently failed. If anything, 'however, it was the victim of circumstances. It was first proposed because there was too much traffic for the vehicles, but by the time it began operations the situation had 'changed. Now there were too Many vehicles for the traffic.
The new Scheme does not include a hauliers' 'pool, and Mr. Sewill was last December released from his position as general manager of the latter. For „some months .previously, suggestions hart been made that he should leave the Ministry. He thought then, and still thinks; that to have done this would have been to draw upon the industry
° 418 some of the blame for the failure of the Pool, whilst it was possible, by remaining 'at the Ministry, to help operators in several ways.
As is well known, no consultation took place with the industry regarding the present . cheme. A.R.O. had ready its own proposals and put -them forward with some force. As they were not accepted and -an entirely
different Scheme was put into operation by the Itlinistry,• in the national interest there was no alternative but to try and make it work. In fact, a large proportion of the road haulage officers and controlled undertakings has been
drawn from A.R-.0. is proud that members are 'thushelping the war effort whatever be their individual views on the Scheme.
The control is for only the war, period. Operators thus have one more reason for hoping that the war will end as soon as possible. Meantime, the best advice to them is to refrain from internal strife, the big man against the small, controlled haulier against hired, long-distance against short-distance. There are more sanguine hopes than ever of. unity amongst the natidnal associations. Without this, road transport will be badly handicapped after the war, when it will have to• meet. the challenge of those planners whose cry for nationalization is loud and persistent.
Every member of A.R.O. has the right to ask his delegate to raise any matter on the area committee, and, if necessary, this can subsequently be referred to the National Council. Several important topics have been dealt with in this way. Other meetings have been called or sponsored by the Association all over the country, and on leaving the Ministry Mr. Sewill made arrangements to visit every area.
The National Conference of Milk Carriers was formed when it became known that the Ministry of Food intended to rationalize the collection and delivery of milk from farm to first destination. This body has succeeded to a remarkable extent in protecting the interests of those hauliers engaged in carrying milk.