"Tantalus" on Mr. Sewill's Booklet
Page 35
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Considered Valuable as a Comprehensive Survey of Road Haulage and Sufficiently Provocative lo Merit Attention by Operators and the Trading Community
IN his booklet, " The Future of Transport and Possible Developments in Road.Haulage," the author, Mr. Roger Sewill, has provided an interesting and comprehensive survey of the.: roadstransport industry. The road along which the industty has travelled, _together with the difficulties encountered, is described with detailed accuracy; and—if only to remind him of three facts—it 'would be well for members. of Abe industry and the trading community alike to read the publication for themselves..
Whilst it is very necessary; to look ahead, it is almost equally important to .glance back along the road traversed and to remember the iniStakes which have been made. BY so doing the individual is stimulated zuul rendered more aclequately 'equipped . for dealing with future pitfalls. Herein, perhaps, lies the greatest valueof .tlie booklet, inasm,tich'as the closest peruSal fails tb 'reveal any facts or information not already. known.. ._ ' • .
In the foreword Mr. Sewill. particularly emphasizes that he alone is responsible for the suggestions contained in the brochure, 'which has notr been drawn up in consultation with any other person or body of persons. Nevertheless it is apparent that the views expre.ssed reflect, in the main, the opinions of a certain' section of the industry and have been stated frequently on previous occasions. • . For example, in the foreword is contained the assumption that, a,fter tbe war, road and rail particulaily will have *to work together with a considerable :amount of " give' and take." This suggestion cannot be claimed' as an innovation, for the Road and Rail Conference has envisaged such a possibility, nay probability, .since its inception. It may be stated, even; that one of the main objectives of the Conference is to achieve this identical result, as so often has been stated by the respective chairmen. In parenthesis it might be well to remark that this is a subject regarding which the road-trail-sport industry is far from unanimous. A great deal, of course, must depend upon; the degree of intimacy likely to exist between road
and rail under post-war conditions. Some ainplification on this.subject of" working together " might prove helpful, Bearing in mind the number of large road-transport undertakings owned by the railway companies; has the suggestion a more significant meaning? Itwould be interesting to know, also, what effect such influences will have on the planning of road transport. As to the attitude of " give and take," so far the " giving-'; has come from the road transport side.
Need for a National Rates Structure for .Road Haulage
As Mr. Sewill knows only too well, the, subject of road and rail co-operation or collaboration is looked upon with suspicion by a considerable section of the industry, and this feeling persists. With regard, however, to a national rates structure for road haulage which Mr: Sewill sUggests, general support, doubtless, will be forthcoming. Whatever the future of the industry may be, a rates schedule is both desirable and necessary, fundamentally in any reorganization scheme. It is well known. that, over a period of years, efforts hve been made to compile such a schedule, but so far the task has not been completed. The proposal that any ratei agreement should be obligatory is as sound
as it is logical, and so merits support. •
It will be observed that, in dealing with the subject Of rates,' the author of the booklet, in every instance, links road and rail together, thus rather suggesting indivisibility. The assumption, apparently', is that a rates structure for the road-haulage industry -is possible only if built on a road and rail basis. Is this necessary? Certainly many members of the industry do not think so. They support the view that the !industry should have a rates schedule quite separate from rail rates—a schedule-.goyerned only,. by the type of competitive service offered to meet the needs of the trades together with the wide 'range Of traffics involved.
In this connection the question of running costs cannot
be overlooked. Whereas the hauliers are able to work out comparatively accurately the running costs per ton-mile, this is not so with the railways. As Mr. Sewill quite rightly points out the two systems o calculating are entirely different and poles apart. Furthermore, as individuals pay first-class' fare so as to secure additional. amenities and greater. personal comfort when travelling in the same way traders react in the matter of .employing a service which ensures more prompt deliveries, with packing necessities reduced to a Minimum and in which ig eliminated the long " and tedious procedure experienced invariably in the settling
of claims by the railways. In the circuri:istances, then. Would it not he a safer and more acceptable procedure for the industry to built its own rates structure and to rely for business upon the efficiency . of the• services rendered? Surely the industry is big and powerful enough to stand upon its own feet in this respect.
Another point is that the -trader would be protected under this system', in that he COuld select the form of transport best suited to and most economic for, his purposes._ This inclines to the view that the adoption of such a course would command a' greater mestiane of support from the general body of hauliers and would, moreover, banish the prevailing suspicion.
Author's Views on individual s Enterprise Will be Widely Endorsed
Many readers .of the booklet will endorse the author's views on the subjeot of Government control under the heading "The Civil Service Takes' Over."
The statement relative to• .the necessity of retaining individual enterprise also will be welcomed, for it reflects —without doubt—the concensus of' opinion opinion amongst members of the industry.
Under the heading " Is This the Solution?" the .suggestion that a Road Haulage Board might be set up on the lines of the Milk-Marketing Board is as puzzling as it is interesting. It must be noted that Mr. Sewill appears to
give preference to the suggestion for, t6 use own words, "Au alternative to the Road Haulage Board might be found. in the proposed amalgamation of all existing hauliers' organizations." Is it intended to infer that all is not well with the scheme of the Road Transport Organization Joint .Conference and that, in making his suggestion, Mr. Sewill is putting out a feeler in other directions?
In dealing with his subject the author omits two most important matters both Of which undoubtedly will have a big influence on the future of road haulage. they are the position of the Cslicensee and the post-war status of the haulier. Without a satisfactory settlement of these two problems the most carefully laid plans may be brought to nought. ' Regarding the former, by far the better way would be for the C licensee and haulier to arrive at an amicable agreement, rather than for there to he statutory enforcement. Such an agreement is quite possible provided there are on both sides the good will to arriye at a solution.
As to the latter problem this must, perforce, be regarded as the More difficult of the two on . account• of its very complexity. Difficult because the Government, apart from general and vague statements, has given no definite
indication of its intentions. Difficult because the policy of the Government regarding the post-war position of road haulage remains undeclared. Difficult because the leaders of the industry have' followed a similar course to the Governthent. Difficult because of 'the possible attitude of the members of the industry now serving withcH.M. Forces who—upon their return to civilian life—may find the doors of .the industry barred against ea'. Therefore, if the question of pon-war status be not dealt with as one of priority, the house which is being built may come crashing down.
Reviewing the suggestions as a'whole—and apart from information already available—the outstanding feature contained in the booklet is -that relating to the possible setting-up of a Road Haulage Board.