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James Amos

20th November 1959
Page 32
Page 33
Page 32, 20th November 1959 — James Amos
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AROUND the turn of the present century the commoncarrier, with his spare-ribbed horse and apparently expanding cart, was a familiar sight north of Hadrian's Wall. The industrial revolution and, the rapid march of the railways had left the Border country largely. untouched and the crofter drove his sheep to market and often walked home, with his household purchases on his back. Yet there was always scope for the horse-drawn operator, who provided early forms of both stage and express services. He carried everything, from coffins to cauliflowers, from piglets to presbyters.

This admirable arrangement made its impression on James Amos, one of the three sons of a Yarrow sheep breeder. Formal education finished at the age of 12, young Amos spent two years on the farm, where he learned to know and love horses. Farming, like other calls in life, demands its ,specialists, and James, at the age of 14, went to serve a five years' apprenticeship as a carpenter. However, on August 4, 1914, there were graver matters to engage young men of 19, and he joined the Lothian and Border Horse "for the duration."

Returned to his native Border, James and his two brothers raised £100 between them, bought a remarkable American lorry called a Traffic (it did 15 miles to the .gallon), and worked it hard, as platform truck, furniture van and char-it-bancs. Taking all business of whatever kind that offered itself, the brothers Amos soon built up

a large ex-Army fleet and concentrated on passenger traffic.

By 1926, the fleet numbered more than 90 vehicles. The enterprise was sufficiently prosperous to attract the attentions of Scottish Motor Traction, who bought the business. James went to the larger company as assistant traffic manager.

These were difficult days;in which the weakest went to the wall. Long-distance services from Scotland to the north of England and even to London were developed, experiments were carried out with the oil engine, and fares were cut to the bone and a little deeper. In 1928, the railways acquired interests in S.M.T., Central S.M.T., Alexander and Sons, and Western S.M.T., and two. years later the 1930 Act laid the foundations of order out of near-chaos.

Gradually, conditions of operation, of labour and of the vehicles improved. Scotland was fortunate in having Mr. Archibald Henderson as a Traffic Commissioner and Mr. Amos played his part in the expanded activities of S.M.T. under the chairmanship of Sir William Thomson.

During the 1939-45 war, Mr. Amos directed many of the company's activities. Skeleton services were provided, mostly to the factories, buses were turned into ambulances and the workshops were busy building aircraft and even corvettes. In addition, he raised and commanded a Home Guard unit, 2,000 strong, recruited from the company's employees, and for his military services was awarded the O.B.E.

With the end of the war, Mr. Amos was confirmed in the appointment of general manager of S.M.T. and he entered on what must be the most strenuous decade of his career. His firstproblems concerned the restoration of services and the provision of new or refurbished buses. Then came nationalization, with all its birth pangs. Scottish Motor Traction was voluntarily acquired, Sir William Thomson resigned and Mr. Amos was appointed chairman of Scottish Omnibuses.

Although it cannot be said that he was the architect of Scottish passenger transport nationalization, Mr. Amos can fairly claim to be the co-ordinator who has made the system function with success. He has laid the foundations of a country-wide bus service which is appreciated by public and local authorities alike, It carries 900m. passengers a year, has an annual revenue of £22m. and makes the satisfactory profit of Ulm.

He gives the impression of being wholly dedicated to his business. He is a tall, dark-haired, ruddy-complexioned man of some weight, more energetic than his 64 years would suggest. He has an immense capacity for work and expects those around him to share his enthusiasm for the job. He makes it his business to know exactly what is happening throughout the group and he has an uncommon grasp of detail.

In negotiation he is bold. In conference, he has no need to rely on advisers: •he is as well briefed as any. -He will seize instantly on weaknesses in argument and bases his decisions on established facts rather than expectations. He is conscious of his rights and duties as a provider of transport and large employer.

His work gives Mr. Amos little leisure, but with roots deep in the soil of the Border country it is to be expected that the rural life still exerts its appeal. On his farm, 20 miles from Edinburgh, he rears a fine herd of the small, hardy Galloway horses. He keeps two hunters and finds time to organize the Edinburgh Horse Show.

As to the future of the industry, Mr. Amos foresees a streamlining of the Scottish railway system, matched, by improved road services in rural areas. He recognizes the threat of private transport, but is confident that the bus industry will always be needed. Of his group, he pays tribute to the work of his predecessors and is determined to leave his successors a prosperous business. T.W.


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