Applicants Should Be More Forthcoming
Page 50
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1DERHAPS if the powers that be I within the House of Fraser Group of companies had made an explanatory statement to the technical Press when their large group of appli cations first appeared in Scottish "Applications and Decisions" last April, they would have been saved a lot of expense, trouble and ill-feeling.
On first receiving the relevant issue of "As and Ds" I telephoned House of Fraser and spoke to Mr. Spence, the Group's transport manager, in an endeavour to seek further information. He refused to discuss the matter and, as a result, The Commercial Motor of May 4 carried a story headed "Nationwide B link-up sought in Scotland," which detailed the applications and stated that "On the face of ft, these applications appear to be an attempt by several large companies, who are in some way linked, to carry for each other 'anything, anywhere.'" It was not until the first day of the hearing at Edinburgh that the 20-odd objectors heard that the applications were, in fact, confined to Scotland, and that far from setting up as hauliers, the Group hoped to be able eventually to take some vehicles off the road. It was not until Mr. Spence was closely questioned in the witness box that the objectors discovered that the goods to , be carried were, in fact, furniture, household effects and draperies.
This is an example which should remind all that a lot of ill-feeling can be avoided by an applicant being a little more forthcoming about his intentions. No doubt many of the objectors to the House of Fraser applications would have been satisfied with a public statement and would not have gone to the trouble of appearing in court.