Long-distance Hauliers Off Duty
Page 57
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MELERE was an enthusiastic gather ing on February 13th, the occasion of the first annual dinner held by the North Staffordshire branch of the Long Distance Road Haulage Association, at Hanley. About 100 representatives and guests dined under the chairmanship of Mr. E. C. Marston, M.Inst.T., the principal of M.R.S., Ltd., Liverpool.
The chairman delivered an address which was sound and reasoned in every detail and ideally suited to his listeners. Mr. Marston gave a host of capital values of the railway and road services of all kinds, together with conservative estimates of turnovers of the opposing transport systems.
According to published returns and estimates made by Mr. Marston, road vehicles should have turned over about twice the amount of money that the railways did during the past year.. The figures quoted by the speaker were £08,000,000 for the railways and about £200,000,000 by road vehicles.
Later, Mr. S. W. Berresford, proposing the toast of the Association, referred to the work of the North Staffordshire branch in particular, stating in the process that the Stoke membership was about 100 per cent.
One of the principal problems with which the Association deals, said Mr. C. J. Hurst, of Birmingham, is that of rate-cutting; and, during the course of a witty and topical speech, he referred to a particular case where a large concern had quite unwittingly cut the rate of a much smaller operator. "
Mr. Hurst received a complaint from the aggrieved party and, when referring the matter to the " apparent " aggressor, had the satisfaction of hearing that the quotation had been instantly withdrawn.