Close Inquiry into L.M.S. Road Methods
Page 71
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Twelve Vehicles Not Used at Base and Whereabouts Unknown
QEARCEIING inquiry is being made 1.–) in the North-Western Area into the methods adopted by the railway companies in respect of their road transport.
At inquiries which have now occupied four days and which will be continued on November 2, Mr. Gilbert Woodward has been placing before the Licensing Authority, Mr. W. Chamberlain, the case of the L.M.S. Railway Co. for 27 additional motor vehicles and 27 additional trailers. These vehicles are for eight bases in Lancashire, Manchester asking for 16. Liverpool for six, and the rest being for Oldham, Rochdale. Liftleborough, Hollinwood, Burnley and Clifton Junction.
Mr. H. Backhouse. who represents 98 members of the C.M.U.A., was on his feet practically all day on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week. Part of the fight concerns the information which the railways should be called upon to discicse.
C.M.U.A. "Fishing Expedition "?
One request was met by the retort from Mr. Woodward that it was impracticable, because it would involve the engagement of a special staff for many months. The matter asked for was irrelevant and the C.M.U.A. was on a mere "fishing expedition."
Mr. Backhouse pointed out that the information required was in relation to " throughout-road " transport and radial distribution over wide areas from various railheads, such as Manchester
to Blackburn, with tobacco from Bristol.
It was admitted by railway witnesses that tobacco was distributed daily by road from Manchester to all towns within 30 miles. Mr. Backhouse said that it was for the Licensing Authority to decide whether this kind of operation, and particularly the traffic which was not rail-borne at all, should be encouraged. It was an encroachment on the bread-and-butter work of the average road haulier.
Rail Horses Increased.
In both the Manchester and Liverpool cases, it was admitted that, although horses had been given ap for motors, other horses had been added from time to time to meet traffic requirements. At the Manchester base, between January and May, the numbei had been increased from 810 to 863.
Another discovery in respect of the Manchester base was that 12 of the 328 motor vehicles licensed there had not been used at that base during the past year and that no information was available as to their whereabouts.
Mr. Chamberlain indicated the taking of a strong line in this matter. He had consented to the vehicles being based at convenient centres, with the knowledge that, to increase fluidity, a vehicle might be moved temporarily from one base to another.
He was, however, to be kept informed of their movement and of the temporary nature of the transfer, 'and he became alarmedwhen told that, under his grant, the vehicles could be used for work beyond his area. The time had now come for him to know where these vehicles were all through the period and exactly what work they had been doing.