Luton Hauliers Hold Indignation Meeting
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LUTON hauliers, on Monday of this week, unanimously, resolved that " this meeting of hauliers of Luton and district views with great concern the proposals for the planning of the roadtransport industry, as set mit in the pamphlet entitled ' The Road Carrying Industry and the Future.' We are of the opinion that the plan, if made effective, will not merely have the effect of demoralizing the inland transport of this country, but will result in grave. injustice to 90 per cent, of the roadhaulage contractors employed in that industry, all of whom, for a long period, have justified their existence by rendering efficient service to the trade and industry of this country."
The Chairman and convenor of the meeting, Mr. E. -B. Howes, of Harpenden, promised to arrange to dispatch a copy of the resolution to every Member of the House of Commons and to Members of the House of Lords.
• Howes opened by pointing out that this was an open meeting of hauliers, not an association meeting; and that there was one item only on the agenda, viz., to discuss the pamphlet entitled " The Road Carrying Industry and the Future." He began by scheduling the names of the authors of the scheme, drawing attention to the
• fact that they were, as to some of them, names-that had appeared in connection with the Sznvasy Scheme; the Waldorf -Group, the Council of the S.J.C., and that one of them was a chairman of the
Finance Sub-committee of the S,J.C., which agreed the terms of hired vehicles in connection with the Government Road Haulage Organization.
He then read extracts from the pamphlet (which was reviewed in our issue dated January 7) .. He referred also to the able article by "Tantalus " in " The Commercial Motor," in these words: "'hank you for your reply to the latest scheme propounded by the eight and now being vetted by the many. So small, but too large for the few who hope to rule our destiny." Mr. R. Scott Hall then addressed the . meeting. He pointed out that this pamphlet bad, he understood, been sent to Members of Parliament, to the Minister of War' Transport and leading officials of the Ministry, and that if operators be not in agreement with the scheme—and he did not think they could be—they had better do something quickly to counteract it. He suggested the proper thing to do was to prepare ii censtructive, answer and set out how they, the operative hauliers, considered. the after-war transport industry .should he run.
The chairman then called on each member of those present to' give his views, and in every case the answer was that the plan was one Which should be scotched at the earliest possible moment..' , The -above resolution was then proposed by Mr. Arthur Meeks, seconded by Mr. Hines, arid carried unanimously.