Labour Renationalization Plan "Unrealistic" Say R.H.A.
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A FUTURE Labour Government will return long-distance road " haulage to public ownership. This pledge is made in the Labour Party's policy statement, "Industry and Society," published last week.
It says that the case for the nationalization of long-distance road haulage is as powerful today as it was when the programme was first drafted. Denationalization was harmful to the industry and to the general economy.
There is no suggestion as to how far renationalization might be extended or of the terms on which it would be accomplished. The Labour Party arc also silent on the question of restricting the C-licensee.
A companion policy document, "Public Enterprise," says that there have been so many changes since the licensing system was set up that the whole question of statutory controls, including the power's of the Traffic Commissioners, requires review.
Applications by the British Transport Commission to the Transport Tribunal to increase fares and charges involve such long delays that the procedure should urgently be revised. [No mention is made of the long delays suffered by bus companies, including those owned by the State, in obtaining authority from the Traffic Commissioners to raise fares.] "The system is full of anomalies," says the booklet. ." For example, if goods are sent by road the charges are not controlled; they are if the goods are sent by rail—an unfair discrimination against the railways."
"Partial Defeat" In defence of British Road Services, it is stated that a profit of nearly £9m. was made in 1953. The Conservative Government had had to admit partial defeat in their efforts to denationalize road haulage, and had had to allow the B.T.C. to retain a substantial part of their goods-transport undertaking.
Criticisms of the nationalized industries are stated to be by no means well founded. but it is admitted that there is room for improvement. lt would be wrong to make a substantial increase in the control of nationalized industries by Parliament.
Full-time members of boards should be selected so far as possible from within the industries concerned.
The Road Haulage Association have described the Labour Party's comments as "unrealistic." They point out that B.R.S. still have the biggest single longdistance road haulage business in the country.
Modifications to the scheme of denationalization made by the Conservative Government merely enabled B.R.S. to get rid of the less profitable
sections" of their undertaking and to ensure that the remainder was operated
more efficiently. Further interference with road haulage would remove the stimulus of corn-petition and encourage inefficiency in B.R.S., and would cause severe dislocation to trade :old industry.
In the absence of details of Socialist policy on transport, it could' only be assumed to be one of restriction acconi. panied by the abolition of freedom of choice for the trader, thereby increasing still further the cost of goods and services.