Remedy Road Repression
Page 33
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Mr. T. A. McDo wall Replies to "J.D.P." in a Trenchant Article Which Contains Many Pertinent Facts and a Spice of Humour ..
THE many vampires of "legal decisions," "Appeal Court rulings," "proving the need," "traders' coercion," " restrictions," and "governess regulations" will soon drain the life of road transport and then—" what a hope!"
We want fair-play—in fact and now—not "happier theories" on the "green hill far away." Happier theories will not pay the butcher, baker and candlestick maker, even though we may have been made to feel that we live in Nursery Lane.
The facts laid out in ray article "What a Hope!" together with some of the suggestions for alleviation, cannot be adequately answered by an exhortation to put our trust in the common-sense of governments ; if you desire to assess the amount of sense to be expected, read the leader "A Crazy Rates Structure" in The Commercial Motor for November 18.
No "public outcry" stopped the creation of the L.P.T.B. by the "wily bureaucrats," and it is doubtful whether it will be forthcoming to stop the milk-monopoly vampire or other schemes of a like nature, any more than we shall see it stop a road monopoly, unless we can make the industry much more energetic than it has been in helping those who are trying to protect its interests.
Mr. Justice Done Presently (if he wants a come-back l'm often called Please Don't Quarrel) seems to wonder whether I may have served only a " dog-watch " in the industry, Really, I cannot help thinking that he is not a regular reader of the C.M. or he would have had many laughs at my expense in the past. He might have noted that scheme for getting some of the empty buses out of central London which was subsequently almost supported by the report of the Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner. It did not make any difference then. Twice since we have seen a tentative attempt to keep out the private cars, One cannot help wondering whether the real object is to lessen congestion or to fill the buses.
A Sea Dog Took to the Road.
I did, however, graduate in sea transport, and I can
assure " that I did not give up all the time and expense which •went to passing examinations in order to turn my " ticket " to the wall and enter road transport "abandoning all hope" on doing so. I am told that such words are written over the entrance to a prison. Whether "J.D.P." can confirm this, or not, I wonder whether it has anything to do with our being regarded as potential criminals?
In spite of a pretty comprehensive experience embracing two fires, several collisions, sundry wrecks, a typhoon and much playing tag with mines and torpedoes while sitting on a cargo of powder (not the kind you get on a dress suit, but the kind that goes " whoof-boom "), I never abandoned a ship yet, although I remember one the engine-room of which was full to the skylight and the afterdeck under water when we beached her,
I also have no intention of abandoning road transport, but I do not overlook the probability of being slung overboard by some big bully, so I am trying to roust out the watch below to bend a trip-line for him as he comes aboard.
My words were no "murmuring of past injustices." These are present evils, being used in the Traffic Courts every day. They must be stopped. A "status quo" is the trip-line which means overboard for us. "J.D.P.." talks of "striving with all our might to prevent further damage" to our structure. Does he not visualize any repair to the damage already done?
I realize that he did not mean his words "specious reasoning and misstatements" to apply to my article, but rather to the presentation of the railway cause ; I wish he had made it plainer, for he might be read the other way round. "J.D.P." is the first to associate my doings with "gloom." I have heard several laughs and survived some good-natured chipping; but gloom ! not on your life--I'll tickle 'ern while they drown me.
" J.D.P." gave us a slogan with his first article, " To serve in times of danger, let road transport serve in times of peace." Somewhat of a mouthful, cannot we rally road recovery around the slogan "remedy road repression "? Even a cur bites his parasites, but we pay ours to annoy us and scarcely scratch.
Road Transport Cannot be Killed.
" J.D.P." will agree with me that the road cannot be killed, and don't the railways know it? Ask yourselves this question—if either road or rail had to be abandoned, which could be done without? It is obvious that the road must endure ; even the railways cannot do without it.
It is not a question of the extermination of the roadtransport industry, but rather whether it is to be left in the hands of those who created it or whether it is to be filched from its creators and handed to a monopoly. In the latter case it will no longer be an industry of service but a vampire on the arteries conveying the lifeblood of the community. Who will then help the traders who will not now help themselves? When their " A "ir and " B "olt holes are stopped up Mr. " C " Licensee will undoubtedly get a taste of the poison gas from Euston and Westminster. There will be only one way left for him to get out, leading into the railway net; and they won't need to bait it with "agreed charges." John Bull once headed an article -with a picture of a railway junction and the caption "Octopus over Britain," Well ! Octopus or vampire, the effect is the same.
When I wrote "What a Hope 1" I was tempted to alter and quote an old Safety First rhyme. I see that "J.D.P." will agree with me, so here it is ;—
" You're right, damned right, as your pen slips along, But you'll do just as much good as if you'd been wrong."
Well, Mr. J.D.P.," I do not like to think that it is quite as bad as that. Cannot we turn your blind faith into effective action by getting all operators of vehicles and the traders who use them to stand on their hind legs and assert; "We won't have it ! "?