OPINIONS and
Page 33
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UERIES
• HIRERS TO THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD GET TOGETHER
I WRITE to congratulate you on the leader in your 1. issue dated May 14 and for the very dear perception displayed therein. It would appear, from reports circulated and from conversations, that those in influential quarters who took upon themselves to look after the industry's interests, did not possess such perception, or, if they ,did, considered it judicious not to ventilate the possibilities and future developments of the Government Scheme, as soclearly set out in your article. We, the industry, have to thank you for the
courage shown. Without taking up your time to deal with the reasons —they are very obvious !—it is safe to say that the industry has now been split into " Controlled" and "Uncontrolled. This at a time when the prospects
of unity were' most bright. 5
It is no secret that the controlled undertakings have already decided to hold meetings.' It may be that objktions will be raised in other quarters against this, but, Willy nilly, meetings will be held, self-interest being the all-compelling motive. UnquestiOnably, therefore, in self-defence, those hiring out their lorries will have to make similar arrangements for getting together to formulate a means for raising matters of interest affecting their position.
From your article, which is commendable for its restraint, I should advise those members of our industry who are hiring their vehicles to --the Government Haulage Scheme, to take immediate steps to organize
themselves. FRANK LucitS. Brampton.
SHOULD THE ANCILLARY USER BE RESTRICTED?'
CONCERNING the problem of haulier versus ancillary 1--"user, " Tantalus," in his article, seeks to find a solution of the difficulties arising between hauliers and ancillary users, especially in respect of post-war reconstruction. He seems to think, from the fact that, under the Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933, restrictions were placed on hauliers, whereas the C licensee had a greater freedom to enlarge his fleet, it was an injustice and merits the dissatisfaction that has taken place.
He cites the ,three main groups under which C licensees tarry .goods:— (1) The transport of bulk loads.
(2) The transport of distributive and allied trades.
(3) The delivery service of the retailer.
Whilst not agreeing with " Tantalus' that the transport of bulk loads should be the legitimate traffic of the haulier, I think, on analysis, that we shall find that most of the manufacturing and wholesale houses do give their buliloads to hauliers, i.e., bulk distant loads; concerning tRmselves mainly with the distribution of loads made up of smaller deliveries by their own transport.
Exceptions, to this are where firms have stock depots at places distant, say, 100 to 150 miles from their factory, and have a few oil-engined vehicles which they use for the purpose, thus making their organizations selfcontained. With regard to the. longer-distance traffic, transport by rail enters into the picture, and on this question much controversy between road and rail has already taken place. .
I am pleased, however, to see that " Tantalus " admits that the transport of the distributive trades and the retailer in general, must retain freedom of action, and agrees that the service rendered is one outside the scope of the haulier. With his paragraph on post-war planning, in, which he refers " to the war-time footing of transport and deliveries within specified zones," I cannot entirely agree. The pre-war overlapping and duplication, about which he talks, -were part of our democratic system which gave perfect freedom to all to purchase where, and from whom, they liked, and .any attempt to make compulsory any system of rationalization of transport would be a negation of the very principles 9f freedom for which we are fighting to-day.
There is also another aspect of the present pooling systems in operation amongst traders, i.e., where firths doing a small, trade with many deliveries ran with vans only partly filled, or ran exceptionally long distances for the sake of making up a load, thereby causing them to make deliveries out of all proportion to the goods carried. In such cases, no doubt, much petrol and rubber have been saved by pooling.
In the case, however, where firms possessed larger types of van, made sure that no van left without a full load, and that the greatest quantity of goods was carried with the least possible mileage, then no good has ensued. On the contrary, there are ,in existence pooling schemes which, far from saving petrol, rubber and man power, have aggravated the waste. Concerns which were operating -through rail-hea,di, forwarded goods by rail, as they do now, but whereas the driver and assistant unloaded the railway vans, and reloaded empties,ewhere-this was necessary, there is now a staff of probably five additional to the vanman and assistant, whilst special premises were taken in which to deal with the goods.
Vans which were efficiently used for 100 per cent. loads were being sent out at about 60 per cent, capacity. and as the component firms did not synchronize their journeys, duplicated deliveries had to be made at the same places on many occasions. There was thus definitely an increase, instead of a decrease in manpower, and I think it will be admitted that the conditions did not tend to a substantial decrease in either petrol or rubber. Surely, then, no one wishes us to -be saddled with this state of affairs in post-war years?
Edinburgh, 4. GEORGE HARRIS, Industrial Ttansport Manager.
AN EARLY LINK WITH THOMAS. TILLING •
I WAS very interested to see the letter in "The
Commercial Motor" of May 7 about the time-saving idea of Thomas Tilling, who died just 50 years ago, in making his patrons go to a bus instead of taking the bus to them.. Frequent stopping and starting of buses would, indeed, wear down tyres nowadays, but my own view is that the first consideration in Thomas Tilling's mind was to ease the strain on his horses.
' My mother, who is in her 90th year, is the last surviving member of his family and often speaks of her father and his early days in Walworth and Peckham. My grandfather was a great lover of horses, and I believe I am correct in saying that he started with one horse in 1840, and at the time of his death, in 1893, te had several thousand.
I thought you might be interested in these few M. remarks. FRANK IS Bournemouth.