Milk Hauliers Should Complete M.M.B. Forms At Once L AST week's
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issue contained a brief La note by S.T.R. dealing with an oversight in M.O. 681ir, issued by the Milk Marketing Board, to all milk hauliers who desire-, to be paid more
for the haulage of milk. He now emphasizes that on the back of the same form is a questionnaire, in which, amongst other things, the haulier is asked to give particulars of any other purpose for which his milk-carrying vehicles are used.
The obvious inference, he points out, is that the Milk Marketing Board is prepared to cut, the rate for milk haulage in the case of any operator who is enterprising enough to be able to find other work for his vehicles when they are not engaged on the haulage of milk. It seems to him that there is a principle involved in this and that the haulier should resist the growing tendency on the part ofofficials of Marketing -Boards to inquire -so closely into the details of his business.
The most important thing that any milk haulier has to do at the moment is to ensure that he has completed form T.3A or T.3B and has despatched it to the Board. The former is to be used where the haulier has previously cc ntracted with the fanner, the latter if he has previously, dealt with the
buyer of the milk. On and after October 1, of course, all these contracts will be between the Milk Marketing Board and hauliers.
There is a column in both these forms in which the haulier is invited to state what the collection charge is to
be in pence per gallon. It does not necessarily follow that he will be paid that rate. When the form is completed, and the haulier's tender accepted, he will be given a form of agreement, one clause of which states that the haulier shall be entitled to such remuneration as is stated in the third column of this form or, if noneis sostated, to such remuneration as he may agree with the Board, and, failing agreement, as may be fixed by the Haulage Committee " hereinafter defined,"
There is also provision made for arbitration in the event of any disagreement as to rates.
It appears that it is because so many operators are stipulating for rates that show an increase upon those which they have previously been receiving, that the Board has issued the form M.O. 680, to which I referred in the previous note on this subject. • The real point seems to be this, says S.T.R., that, in filling up form T.3A.
or T.3B; the haulier, if he enters any rate at all, should enter that which he considers to be fair and reasonable and be prepared subsequently to discuss the basis of that rate.
Incidentally, he thinks it advisable for every haulier, who is faced with the necessity of completing this form and others like it, to contact the local Division or Area of his association and take the advice of the secretary, as in that way there will be some uniformity in replies and the certainty that , nothing has been overlooked.