Bird's Eye View T HERE may well have been some red faces at Transport
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House last week as a result of Dr. Beeching's speech at the R.H.A.'s annual dinner, because the Doctor certainly put the haulier's case in opposition to the idea of a national transport survey, when he said that during the course of his own investigations he had, in fact, made "a more thorough examination of roadborne freight traffic in this country than has ever been made before ".
Still, he must think hauliers are a funny lot. Having ieft them in no doubt that he was after their traffic, once the Railways had committed themselves, having decided just how widespread the liner train network would be, he was rewarded by prolonged applause. This must have left him even more puzzled than he admitted he had been when asked to address the Association as its guest of honour.
His remarks "once our costs come tumbling down, then we shall be firmly in business ", drew some very thoughtful expressions from his listeners.
What did members think of Dr. Seething's speech? Generally speaking, those that I tackled thought he was talking sound common sense; but there were one or two who thought otherwise.
"I prefer Derek Good's reply," one well-known Teesside character told me. I pointed out to him that whilst the Doctor was speaking "off the cuff" as he customarily does, the National Chairman's speech was prepared and distributed to the Press well in advance. "Well, its a good job Beeching said the things that Derek Good wanted him to say," came back the retort!
Vehicle Spotting—Australian Version
0PERATORS in the home country exasperated by unscheduled delays to vehicles should spare a thought for their Australian brothers who can suffer loss of vehicles -apparently without trace.
At the recent conference of the British Association of Overseas Furniture Removers Mr. R. A. Reedman of Grace Bros. Pty. Ltd., Sydney, related his company's experience during very bad floods in New South Wales. They had five pantechnicons in the flood area all of which were posted " missing " but after five days only one remained untraced. Later the driver was reported safe but marooned on an isolated hill top—but of the vehicle there was still no trace.
On the eighth day an oil company representative tele
phoned to say that he had just flown from Brisbane to Sydney and when flying low over the flood waters—as all civil aircraft were asked to do--he had been able to read the words "Grace Bros., Sydney through a Clear patch of water. The mystery of the missing vehicle was solved!
Airborne to Longbridge
BECAUSE of the threatened rail strike, H. A. Saunders Ltd., Finchley, Austin distributors for Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, chartered a Cunard Eagle D.C.6 to take a party of 55 or so customers to the Austin Commercial Show last week—and a very enjoyable and successful party it was, according to John Moon, who was one of Saunders' guests. Mind you, it took John the hest part of five hours to get from Enfield to Longbridge, whereas he could have driven there in about half the time! But at least it does make a change from the Motorway. The party were duly impressed with what they saw at Longbridge, whilst John became the fourth member of our staff to be interviewed on the closed-circuit television in the main Exhibition Hall, the other three being our editor, Alan Havard, and staff members Tony Wilding and Paul Brock ington.
International Visit
UNDERSTAND that there is quite a good chance that I the Road Haulage Association will play host again. The last time was in October, 1959, to a visiting party of members of Section II of the International Road Transport Union. The suggested date is late next year, possibly (and in my view very appropriately) at the time of the Commercial Motor Show in London. There cannot be too much of this international liaison. I commend the R.H.A. for their foresight in issuing the invitation.