LEEDS WELCOMES THE NATIONAL COUNCIL.
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An Important and Interesting Provincial Meeting of the Commercial Motor Users Association.
THE INSTITUTION of provincial meetings of the Commercial Motor Users Association has been attended with conspicuous success, and we have observed, in the case of this young (if sturdily grown) organization, a repetition of the phenomenon that marked a similar change on the part of a very old-established body, keen competition on the part of the centres for the honour of entertaining the delegates from all parts of the country, and then the putting forth of every effort on the part of individual members of the centre acting as hosts, and the desire to show the centre organization in the best light, all served to give a decided local impetus to the movement; and the net result was invariably a better understanding between the particular centre and headquarters and the co-ordination of various useful efforts of adjoining centres.
The first provincial meeting of the National Council of the C.M.T1.A. 'for this year was taken to the district covered by the North-Eastern Centre, and a large party of men prominent in the world of road transport. foregathered in Leeds on the Monday night of .last week, the Tuesday morning being spent in a most interesting and highly informative visit to the works of the Yorkshire Motor Wagon Co.,'Istd., at Hunslet, Mr. W. J. Lewin, the managing director, making a most agreeable host and guide.
The Council Meeting.
In the afternoon the National Council met and disposed of an extensiye agenda, in the course of whichlt was announced that the next provincial meeting would be held at Bristol in the month of October. Important matters arising out of the new taxation and of* the consideration being given by a Government Committee to the proposed changes in the law in the matter of speeds and weights came up for report and discussion, and it was made clear that in the president and chairman of Council, Mr. E. S. Shrapnell-Smith, C.B.E., the Association has a man closely in touch with all that is taking place. Certain desirable reforms in the scale of taxation and the methods of collecting the dues were discussed, and the Association will endeavour to secure them.
One matter was thoroughly cleared up, and that was the possibility of the members of the Association buying their supplies on a co-openative system through the headquarters or divisional offices of the Association. There is no such inCention, for the C.M.U.A. is. in no sense, a trading institution it. does not even set. rates for haula:ge and transport,.
The difficulty arose out of an offer made by a manufacturer to one of the local divisions, and through an inadvertence in the phraseology of the letter which conveyedthe offer to the members of that division. The committee had not, .until last Wednesday, an opportunity of considering the replies of the members, which, by the way, we understand to be adverse to such a scheme.
The council was able to report a constant accession of new members, no fewer than 367 having joined in April and May. The legal department was able to report that it had rendered invaluable help to the members.
Address by the President.
At the termination of the council meeting the members of the NorthEastern Division assembled for an address on the' Current and Prospective Factors in Mechanical Transport" by the president. Mr. Stirapnell-Smith dealt clearly with the present tactics of the railway companies in trying to mould public opinion so that a clause could, with some hope of success, be introduced into the Railways Bill now before Parliament giving the companies the power to convey goods by road without contact with the rail systems, powers against the granting of which a majority of the conimittee, which recently considered the proposals, reported. In clause 44 of the Railways Bill the companies were actually seeking rights to coerce traders into sending all their goods by one railway.
The coal strike has thrown a great responsibility upon road transport in the maintenance of food and other supplies, and the value end importance of the road and of fast vehicular services has further been brought home to traders and customers all over the country. The present. shortage of haulage work is, of course, the natural outcome of the shortage of production' but one advantage was accruing in that everybody was being forced to improve methods as business slackened.
Mr. ShrapnellsSmith dealt with a number of cognate subjects, particularly with the question of speeds and weights and the coming changes in the law in respect thereof, the developments in the matter of alternative fuels, and passenger and goods traffic developments. He pointed out that the railway companies could do much to improve the fatalities in their own sphere of action. Road transport, however, can always give a more direct and a quicker service, with an absence of pilferage, and with cheaper packing, and could work to a schedule infinitely quicker than could be done by any
method adopted by the railway corn parties. The railways built up their goods services at the expense of the road haulier. History was repeating the operation and reversing the effect.
After Dinner Speeches.
At the dinner held in the evening, and given by the North-Eastern Division Mr. All Masser, chairman of the Division, presided, supported by the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Mr. A. E. Braithwaite, and by the President of the Association. Alderman C. H. Wilson proposed the toast of the Transport Industry, and• showed that he was a keen advocate of bringing the strength and suitability of the roads up to the requirements of modern transportation. He favours the 100 ft. road, and considers that the needs of the city could best be served by improving the radial roads rather than by spending money required in that direction in,building ring roads. Mr. Shrapnell-Smith, replying, urged the need for planning for the 100 ft. road so that new buildings should not prevent the attainment of the ideal when money should once again be available for improvements. He showed that if the railways have 1,300 millions of money invested in them, there is at least an equal sum sunk in the roads, and at least 250 millions of capital in the road industry. On tramways he asked for civic and municipal attention to the advantages offered by (motorbuses in catering for the people on their rest days and holidays through their independence of route, and he claimed that much could be done in the way of linking up the two services.
Mr. C. Le hi. Gosselin proposed the toast of the North-Eastern Division and showed that there was close cooperation between that division and the North-Western Division, as he said the two bodies would have an organization covering one-third of the transport trade of the whole country. Mr. C. P. Box replied. Mr. W. J. Lewin in felicitous terms proposed the toast. of the Guests and the City of Leeds, and the Mayor in his reply dealt with the competition between the railway and the road, and considered that the road transport industry had nothing to fear. It was an industry of young men. it would grow up in its own way and develop its own methods. Speaking of trades unionism, he said that he hoped for unionism between masters and men—then the industries would be able to meet the competition which was the most serious attack the country had to face. Mr. E. G. Guest proposed the toast of the chairman to which Mr. Masser replied.