The View of the Road Haulage Association
Page 59
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THE Road Haulage Association, claiming to represent more road-haulage contractors than any other .single body, protests against statements which have appeared to the effect that the report of the Salter Conference represents the agreed view of road-haulage interests. On the contrary, it contends that the haulage contractor, who, with the railway companies, is the main subject of the inquiry, was not adequately represented and it is questionable whether any haulier will subscribe to the recommendations contained in the report.
As is generally known, although not made clear to the public by the daily Press, the Road Haulage Association was not represented on the Conference. The Standing Joint Committee' of Mechanical Road Transport (which includes the Commercial Motor Users Association) was represented, and held that it was entirely represe.ntative of the material road-transport interests. Sir Josiah Stamp then demanded that if any association was to be left without representation the railways must have the assurance of members of the Standing Joint Committee, that if any of the agreed
findings of the Conference was subsequently contested by any section of road-transport interests, the Standing Joint Committee would unite with the railways against such opposition.
In the opinion of the Road Haulage Association the recommendation, if given effect, will establish again a railway monopoly of transport, to the detriment of the national welfare; it will amount to the handing over of traders and manufacturers, lock, stock and barrel, into the railways' hands. A position will be created comparable with that years ago when the railways stifled the valuable activities of the canal companies.
This opinion, no doubt, will be expressed to the Minister of Transport when, in response to his invitation, the R.H.A. offers him its observations on the report. A general meeting will probably be organized so soon as views on the report are gathered.
The Association further points out the significance of the railway pooling arrangements which have proceeded while the Conference has been preparing its report, as if in readiness to deal with the anticipated extra traffic.