Tribunal Ruling on Rates to be Sought ?
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AN attempt may be made to secure a ruling from the Transport Tribunal on the importance to be attached to rates in licence applications.
This was indicated last Friday by Mr. J. Edward Jones, for Idris Williams and Marshall, Llanfairpw11, after Mr. J. R. Lindsay, North Western Deputy Licensing Authority, at Caernarvon, had refused their application to add "agricultural produce and provender to and from.Merseyside " to the conditions of their B licence.
He said the question of early delivery of foodstuffs from Merseyside to Angle sey had become a matter of prime importance to the agricultural community. Road transport was faster than rail, and the question of rates was signifi
cant. This was one of a number of similar cases and the decision might well become the subject of an appeal. In that event, both parties would seek the Licensing Authority's comments on the question of rates.
Mr. H. McKay, regional sales manager of Lever Bros. (Cattle Foods), Ltd., said that although the rail service was ,good to most parts of the country, a much
better service was given by road to Anglesey. If the application were granted some feeding stuffs at present transported by rail would be transferred to road.
Mr. L. W. Humphries, Lever's district manager, said they could rely on delivery by road within 24 hours, but by rail it sometimes took a week. The transfer of feeding stuffs from rail to road had increased their business by 140 tons in three months. •
When Mr. Edward Jones was reading letters in support, Mr. G. H. P. Beames, for the British Transport Commission, submitted that it was pointless to do so, because the Transport Tribunal had said
they were of no value. •
Replying, Mr. Edward Jones said that whilst it was true that unsupported letters were of little practical value, where they were used to support oral evidence, they filled in the background of a general need which might not otherwise be apparent.
Mr. Bearnes contended that the real answer to the problem was rates, not service; if the rail and road rates were reversed, no more would be heard about delays.
Refusing the application, Mr. Lindsay said there were only vague allegations of delay against British Railways, unsupported by details which would enable them to investigate the complaints.