Big Road-Rail Battle for Horseboxes A FIER a one-and-a-half-day hear' \
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ing before the Yorkshire Licensing Authority, applications by 10 Yorkshire racehorse trainers for
B Dunces for their horsebhxes were adjourned until March 29. The adjournment was granted at the request of Mr. W. A. Goss, representing the Railway Executive, who opposed the application.
The applications were the outcome of a decision by the Licensing Authority that C licences, under which the trainers had run their own hotseboxes for horses trained by themselves, did not cover the transport of patrons' horses to and from rate meetings, for hire or reward', whether as a separate • or inclusive charge for training, keep and transport, or for consideration in lieu.
Vital to Racing Industry Mr. W. R. Hargraves, who represented eight of the applicants, described the cases as of outstanding importance to the racing industry. He was appearing fot COL W. E. Lyde and Capt. Cr. R. Armstrong, both of Middlehatri, and Messrs. W. J. Bellerby, W: P. Dutton,
-Thwai:es, E. Street. R. E. Davey. all of Melton, and Mr. W A. Hammett, of Beverley, Mr. V. S. Moore, of Norton, Mattone was represented by Mr. E. Freeman, and Mr. R. Renton, of Ripon, conducted, his own case.
Mr. G. S. Warden. of Newmarket, who gave evidence as to the conditions' there, watched the case on behalf of the Newmarket trainers.
Mr. Hargraves emphasized that the carrying by trainers of their patrons' horses had been done openly. although no doubt wrongly, as it now appeared. Refusal of a B licence would be a catastrophic decision for a racehorse trainer, and, to some extent, an owner.
Among other witnesses called in addition to the applicants were Lord Irwin, a steward of the Jockey Club. and Brig. A. B. Beauman. a member of the council of the Racehorse Owners' Association.
Risk to Trainer
Lord Irwin said that stewards held the trainer entirely responsible for the condition of his horse when it ran in any race. if a trainer had to send his horse by public transport there would always be a grave risk of undesirable people being picked up en route and of the trainers being put in an awkward position, in which he might lose his I icence.
Referring to the difficulty of the railway in meeting owners' last-minute decisions to run their horses, Brig. Beauman mentioned a case in which an owner had at the last minute decided to run his horse at Pontefract arid, using a private motor horsebox, was able to send his horse t'nd win the event.
Mr. Warden and the applicants referred to the impossibility of the railways being able to cater for trainers' last-minute decisions, to the greater speed of road horseboxes as compared with rail, the danger of infection from
coughing and other epidemics by the use of public vehicles, and the insufficient number of railway motor horseboxes.
Mr. fleyerby's head travelling lad referred to three instances in which unauthorized persons, some of them knewn to him as racecourse undesirables, were picked up by railway-road horseboxes.
• Railway Horsebox " Disgusting "
Mr. Hammett described the condition of a railway horsebox, in which he had to send a £2,000 horse from Beverley to •Bogside, as " disgusting." He corriplained at Beverely station and was told:" " I know it is not in a fit condition to take the horse. I have tried to get another box, but I cannot." On every occasion upon which he had carried for other trainers, he had been doing them a good turn and had never received a .penny.
For Mr. Moore. Mr. Freeman suggested that the railways were to some extent poachers of traffic which properly belonged to road hauliers. In few cases were there stations 'immediately adjoining racecourses or training headquarters.
"What is it that the railways are asking for? " asked Mr. Freeman. " Is it a monopoly, because, if so. it is a monopoly of the worst kind. A monopoly in the hands of a particular firm can always be dealt with but when it Is a nationalized monopoly, what hope is there of any redress for the customer? "
Ambulances for Horses Mr. Moore, who is now running a veterinary hospital at Mahon, emphasized the need for having a specially fitted box for the removal of horses injured in running or in training. All the horses carried by him were formerly trained by him.
Mr. Davey said that only the previous week he had sent six brood mares, heavy in foal, to Ireland by rail, and it took them 24 hours to travel from Malton to Holyhead. The railway service was very bad.
The adjournment was granted to enable the railway to investigate the complaints made by the applicants.
Use Road Transport, Says Food Ministry
AN instruction by the Ministry of Food that potatoes must be transported by road from the Marshland district. near Cioole—one of the biggest potato-growing areas in the country— was criticized at a meeting, last week, of the Goole branch of the Natienal Fanners' Union,
Mr. W. Scott, secretary-, said -the reason given by the Ministry for the ban on rail haulage was that railway transport was neeterfed for disposal of the Northern Ireland potato crop as a matter of national urgency. He had pointed out to the Ministry that the roads on several farms were not suitable for lorries. On the other hand, the Axholme Joint Railway ran through the farms, and most of the farmers had their own sidings.
The Ministry had replied that the matter was not a local one; it was a question of national needs.
CAN WE RAISE THE MONEY?
AT a meeting of the Institute of Traffic Administration, to be held at Caxton Hall, London, S.W.I., at '7 p.m. on March 1 Mr. Christopher Hollis, M.P., will speak on "Can Britain Finance Big Transport Improvements ?"