Disagreemen t on the Bill
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WELCOMING the Transport Bill, vV Mr. C. Hinns, who presided at the 80th annual general meeting of the Liverpool Cart and Motor Owners. Association (Liverpool No. 1 Sub-area of the Road Haulage Association), Liverpool, last week described the proposed levy as iniquitous.
The road transport industry, he said, had already paid in taxation over many years, enough money to purchase the railways outright, but it was, now called upon to subsidize them. "There is a general opinion that the railways must be retained owing to their necessity in times of war and for speedy passenger travel over long distances. Such being the case, I submit that any unavoidable railway,losses should be a charge on the Detence Fund and be borne by the Exchequer," he added.
Mr. Herbert Morrison, -M.P., speaking at • East Dundee last week, criticized the Government's neglect to include a trade-union representative on the Road Haulage Disposal Board.
Mr. Harry Crookshank, Lord Privy Seal, speaking at Woodford last Saturday, declared that road haulage was one of the industries in which a man with little capital but much energy could make good. The Government would ensure that the private company and the small man had achance to give, commerce the. benefitof efficient ,service.
The Government might usefully arrive at a scheme by which deiaational ization should take place gradually, instead of 'at one fell swoop, Mr. George Veitch, president, told Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce last Friday.
In the sale of units of British Road Services, there should be control to ensure that the industry did not fall into the hands of speculators. Whilst welcoming the 'denationalization proposals generally, the Chamber strongly deprecated the introduction of the levy.