Supplementary Advance a Long-standing Plan
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pains to maintain that it was not a last-minute move, but part of a plan evolved at the beginning of August, the Minister of Transport announced at a London Press conference on Monday that a first instalment of supplementary ration coupons would be sent this week to applicants whose haulage activities came into the priority categories.
This instalment was to be regarded as something on account and would not be less than half the basic ration. It would allow essential users to continue operating until their exact supplementary allowances could be worked out. Nonessential users would not receive the advance.
There was bound to be, said the Minister, an element of rough justice in applying a difficult scheme. Some operators would get no supplementary
He told a representative of The Commercial Motor that no scheme for compensating those operators who might go out of business had been envisaged. His concern was to look after the majority.
Only a few of the 200,000 hauliers might be inconvenienced or go bankrupt. He welcomed the pooled transport schemes being worked out by the furniture manufacturers and the National Union of Manufacturers.
He offered some encouragement to carriers of drinks: these were classified as basic foods in the priority category.
Ile recognized that the basic ration might represent only two to three days' work a week, but held out some hope that if oil supplies improved, rations could be increased.
CRITICAL SITUATION NEXT MONTH AFTER drawing attention to the PA. enormous discrepancy between the Government's declared intention of saving 25 per cent. of normal fuel supplies and the actual reduction to 25 per cent. of the pre-rationed average which many operators would have to accept, Mr. C. E. Jordan, chairman of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce transport committee, said on Monday that if the allocation of supplementary fuel for goods vehicles was on similar lines to that granted to private cars, the position might well be disastrous.
He described the rationing scheme as "misconceived and unrealistic." If the industrial situation deteriorated, which he thought it would, strong representations would have to be made.
Mr. Jordan said the ability of the railways to collect and deliver goods was limited.
He thought a critical situation in road transport would develop late next month.
Mr. J. E. Bellis, president of the Chamber, said the procedure adopted for the allocation of fuel appeared to give simplicity in admitnistration with a maximum inconvenience to essential users.