What the Associations are Doing
Page 30
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Mr. Sewill's Road-Rail Optimism A LARGE gathering of operators attended a meeting at Southall, last week, to hear Mr. R. W. Sewill, national director of A.R.O., who gave an interesting talk on the road and rail agreement. He started by saying that at one time the railways would have liked to see the road transport industry pushed back into the comparative obscurity from which it had risen. In spite of much opposition, however, the industry had struggled on, and whilst it was by no means as prosperous as it would like to be, it was still making headway.
The railways said that they wanted to be free of their restrictions in order to compete with the road. What they really desired was to fix the rates as they wanted them—to concentrate on one district and cut the rates wholesale until competition was at a minimum, then to fix the rate they wanted, and go on to start the same process in a different district. By this method, they once more hoped to force hauliers off the.road, but fortunately it could not be carried out.
Most of those present were already familiar with the basis of the new agreement, and Mr. Sewill went on to explain the working of the new Tribunal, which will be responsible for the fixing of rates. Every trader will know, in future, what rate he has to pay by road and by rail, and will have the satisfaction of knowing that every other trader is paying the• same rate. Mr. Sewill then went on to talk about the " gentleman's agreement " between road and rail, and the distrust which some people seem to feel of this; he said, however, he was sure there was no need for any worry in this connection, as the railways now realize the importance of working in with the road.