Cuckoos in the Nest
Page 26
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ATTENTION has already been drawn to the unenviable has in which short-distance hauliers will find themselves if private enterprise in road haulage be limited to a radius of 25 miles. Rivalry in such a small area will be increased, and private operators will be subjected to further competition from the British Transport Commission. Inevitably, the result of the operation of the Transport Bill in its present form must be the extinction of many small operators—and this without compensation.
The treatment of farmers by the Ministry of Fuel and Power makes an interesting comparison with that which hauliers are likely to receive at the hands of the Government. Land is being rented from farmers for the extraction of open-cast coal. Theoretically, the various strata of soil are removed separately, and, after mining operations -.have been completed, the land is restored to its original condition, fences are re-erected and the estate is put into good order.
In practice, the farmer may be put to a great deal more inconvenience and loss than theory suggests. Mining operations may make his house uninhabitable, and he may return to find it severely damaged. He receives no compensation for the loss of use of his home, for the expense involved in finding another, and for damage dom.to the building. He also receives no recompense for damage done to field drains, and the condition of the ground after its restoration by enthusiastic amateurs, with bulldozers and other fascinating equipment, may be such that the: farm becomes virtually a dead loss for some years. That loss is borne entirely by the farmer.
In a case of which _we have knowledge, good agricultural land wasruined and expensive washing plant erected, for a yield reported, perhaps figuratively, to be two lorry-loads of open-cast coal. The test borings had been deceptive—poor consolation to the farmer.
These examples of Government " enterprise " illustrate effectively the hardship that can be brought upon the individual when the State is given full rein. They should be sufficient to encourage even the most apathetic to fight against the nationalization of transport.