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Move to Form New Hauliers' Bloc

25th December 1942
Page 20
Page 20, 25th December 1942 — Move to Form New Hauliers' Bloc
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

REFERENCE to moves, in which he is taking part, to form what be described as a new bloc of hauliers " outside the combines," was made by Mr. Robert Barr, chairman and managing director of Barr and Wallace Arnold Trust, Ltd.; when speaking in Leeds, last week, on the situation arisina° from the Government'i new road haulagg. scheme. The occasion was a farewell gathering which the Leeds Area Committee of the Hauliers' National Traffic Pool held' before its winding-up. Mr.Harry Wood, of Huddersfield, the Committee's chairman, presided over the " funeral repast, for which there was a souvenir menu bearing caricatures of officials and others.

Bluntly voicing dissatisfaction at some aspects of the trend of events in the industry, Mr. Barr said be and colleagues who thought like him would not betray the industry to any "financial octopus."

Mr. Barr said he felt that in Lord Leathers they had a Minister of War Transport who aimed to give the road haulage indUstry a square deal, and he was confident that they would receive "a fair crack of the whip" from the Regional Transport. Commissioner, Mr. Harry Wood, who proposed a toast to the Ministry of War Transport, said that he was glad to note the official assurance to the industry that it was the • intention of the Minister of War Transport to see that every step was taken to ensure equity for all operators.

Referring to the Standing Joint .Committee's position in relation to the new scheme, Mr.' Wood suggested that if it functioned in a proper, democratic way and for the benefit of the industry in general, no heart-burning need be caused by the scheme's provisions. The Minister himself had officially welcomed bilateral approach from the S.J.C. on matters arising out of the scheme and, therefore, it was in the hands of the industry to implement such an arrangement.

What was more important, in a way, than the provisions themselves, was the manner in which they were applied. Therefore, after Pool chairmen had been informed; some weeks ago, that upwards of 250 controlled concerns had already been selected, it was gratifying to find the scheme put the responsibility of selection into the hands of Regional Transport Commissioners, who, after all, should be the best judges of regional requirements,

Major Eastwood, the Regional Transport Commissioner, said that the road haulage industry was handicapped by lack of unity. " As an industry," he added, " you have got to get together to formulate your ideas and, having done so, you have got to stick tb them. You are not doing so at the present moment,"

alS In replying to a toast to the guests, which had been proposed by Mr. Robert Barr, tribute to the excellent 'service he had received from the Ministry of War Transport's Road Haulage Branch was paid by Mr. R. B. Bayley, chief transportation' officer for the Ministry of Supply's East and West Yorkshire area. He said that he had felt the old road haulage scheme now being Superseded was bound ultimately to break doyn. There had been far too much canvassing for loads, with a consequent tendency towards the artificial, creation of road traffic for the sake of providing work for vehicles. He thought the new scheme was definitely on right lines, and he hoped organization would be so arranged that Government Departments using transport would be able to deal directly with the people arranging the haulage.

Others who responded included Mr. Harold Goodwin, of the transport department of the Ministry of Supply's Wool Control. Pointing out that the Control bad been able to import millions of bales of wool into this country without any serious hold-up of the ships at the docks, he said that this was largely due to the perfect road. rail co-ordination in the Control's transport department. The amount of empty running by road vehicles working for the Control through the operators' wool pools was extremely small. •

Mr. J. S. Hutchinson, of Huddersfield, who represents the Yorkshire Area Standing Joint Committee on the national S.J.C., spoke of the S.J.C.'s long-term policy, and said he believed that the new federation scheme would be definitely to the benefit of the industry at large. " In all our deliberations," Mr. Hutchinson stressed, " we must take into account the small operator."

Raising a point of criticism concerning the Government's new scheme, Mr. Hutchinson suggested that the names of all the controlled undertakings should have been announced together. Financial grounds were the excuse for not doing so, but he contended that financial arrangements could be settled later. He had every confidence that Lord Leathers would treat the industry on an equitable footing.

Mr. J. T. Rodwell, of Wombwell, chairman of the Yorkshire Area S.J.C. and chairman of the Yorkshire Regional Committee of the Road and Rail Conference, said that the new scheme would stand or fall by the rankand-file operator. CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR GREETINGS

WE send to all our readers amongst VI' British and Allied Nations our heartiest good wishes and hopes for an early victory. We have all .trod a thorny path, but have now sit our feet on the highway to a successful conclusion. In this gigantic effort road transport and mobile mechanized equipment are playing their parts in full measure.

ANTI-FREEZE RETAILERS REQUIRE LICENCES VUE would point out that in con nection with the new anti-freeze mixture, Froidene, this cannot be•sold without a licence. Retailers must therefore apply for such permission before selling to the public.

SIR ALFRED FAULKNER'S NEW TITLE

THE Director of Producer Gas Vehicles, Sir Alfred Faulkner, CE., C.B.E., has been allotted additional. duties in connection with the developments of fuels, other than petroleum, for read transport. Accordingly, his designation has been changed to Director of Alternative Motor Fuels.

OLD CALENDARS AND NEW CARDS TO SALVAGE

THE need for paper is growing more urgent. Therefore, immediately your 1942 calendars become out of date add them to the salvage collection, even if the pictures on them be unusually attractive. In the same way, whilst appreciating your Christmas cards, do not keep them for more than a few days. They can be of greater value elsewhere in packing munitions and in the making of them.

MODIFICATIONS IN RUBBER CONTROL DIRECTION

'THE Minister of Su ppl 3f. has I appointed Mr. E. Gore-Browne, who has been released by the Southern Railway, to be Controller of Rubber. He will be assisted by a Director of Rubber, a Director of Tyres and anAdviser on Synthetic Rubber Usage. the last-mentioned being Mr. A. .Healey, who has been released by the Dunlop Rubber Co., Ltd. Mr. F. D. Ascoli becomes Director of Rubber, covering supplies of rubber, rubber substitutes and other raw materials required by the industry, and for general rubber goods, The Earl of Rothes is Director of Tyres.

SEASONABLE MESSAGE FROM LORD LEATHERS

ANICE gesture from Lord Leathers, Minister of War Transport, is the sending of a word of thanks and good cheer to all men and women engaged in the urgent task of transport. During the past 12 months, he says: they have carried out the complex movements of men and supplies with efficiency and dispatch in the face of many trials and difficulties. The results of these labours are now apparent. Therefore to all employed in running transport, Lord Leathers

says " God speed your efforts." •


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