Midlands haulier gets
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Minister's co-operation By Paul Moody
AN offer to get together with a Midlands haulier to produce a memorandum which he would circulate among MPs was made on Saturday by the Minister of Aviation, Mr. John Stonehouse. The haulier, Mr. I. R. Cooper, worried at the effects of the Transport Bill, had previously journeyed to Westminster with his son, Mr. G. Cooper, and two shop stewards from their firm, Coopers Road Services, to persuade Mr. Stonehouse, who is their MP, to explain to the men at their Wednesbury depot the effects that the Bill might have on haulage employees. On Saturday Mr. Stonehouse attempted to do just this.
He told the meeting that putting the economy right demanded that the best possible use must be made of the huge investments poured into the railways.
He said the situation where the taxpayer was subsidizing inefficiency must be avoided, adding: "A railway network used effectively makes national sense, but the way it's done must be seen to be fair." Mr. Stonehouse agreed that more money should be spent on the road programme, and criticized the routeing of motorways; it seemed ridiculous that they should carry non-commercial traffic through industrial zones.
There were plenty of points for the MP to answer. For instance, Mr. S. Jones, of S. Jones (Aldridge), feared that Freightliner rates would soar as soon as road haulage competition was eliminated. But Mr. Stonehouse could not envisage elimination of competition, though he agreed that it would be necessary to ensure that rates were neither excessive nor over-subsidized.
RHA area secretary Mr. J. Parnell told Mr. Stonehouse that it was contrary to all reasonable business procedures and concepts of justice that a haulage firm should have to prove itself more efficient than the railways in order to obtain a licence. He also foresaw a considerable rise in transport costs if the proposed tax increases were sanctioned.