"Railway Restrictions All Nonsense"
Page 35
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" 'THEN I shall have to get my own
1 vehicle, that is all," remarked a trader witness at Liverpool, last week, when an application to vary a B licence was refused. Mr. J. Baldwin, 30, Onslow Road, New Ferry, Cheshire, applied for permission to extend his radius for Messrs. Walter's Food Products from 20 miles to 50 miles on the ground that he worked solely for this firm and his present radius did not permit him to carry so far as they wished.
In reply to Mr. B. de H. Pereira, for the railways, a representative from Messrs. Walter's Food Products said that if they sent their goods by rail the increased costs would seriously affect their profits.
Mr. Pereira : So it is a question of cost?—Yes, certainly.
Witness added that if they despatched by rail they were restricted by regulations regarding packing, etc. Continuing, he said that "Before the war the railways were all right, but the rates and restrictions nowadays are all nonsense."
Witness said he did not wish to send his traffic to Manchester by another haulier, because he only wanted about 20 lb. carrying at a time and this haulier wanted to charge at the 1i-cwt. rate, whereas applicant charged only 2s. 9d.
Mr. Pereira said applicant was a butcher and was endeavouring to increase his radius and operations at the expense of those who were solely, engaged in transport. He was able to work on the figure of 2s. 9d. a run because he was able to use his vehicle on his own business. That figure would be wholly swallowed up on such a journey 'by the ordinary methods of costing.