A.R.O. Appeals to Small Operators
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OFFICIALS of A.R.O., including the National Director, Mr. R. W. Sewill, M.A., are touring the Associa
tion's area. Mr. Sewill was speaking at Liverpool on Monday and at Manchester on Tuesday. An appeal is being made to the smaller operator, and the main theme of each address was that the strength of the road-haulage industry lies in the small operator, and he must be safeguarded if the,industry is to play its proper part in the war effort and in the post-war period. After giving a brief description of the new Government Scheme for the control of long-distance haulage, and explaining the reasons for it, he stated that the opinion of A.R.O. before the Scheme was launched was that ail the objets could have been achieved by modifications in the existing machinery. The A.R.O. had, in fact, a complete and detailed plan which could have been put into operation immediately, and would not have involved the setting up of an entirely new organization. The plan provided briefly for the diversion to professional road hauliers of the bulk of traffic to be Carried by road, plus a system of control to ensure the elimination of empty running and the greatest possible efficiency. It would have been operated through the Regional Transport Commissioners.
He paid tribute to the Minister, however, for consulting the S.J.C., and discussions have been going on ever since through the medium of that body. The various associations have agreed that representations to the Minister should be made only through it.
Reference was also made to a special committee set up by the S.J.C. to consider the financial provisions of the Scheme.
The outlook seemed more promising than ever before for an amalgamation of all the major associations in the industry. The Road Transport Organization Joint 'Conference, sitting under the chairmanship of Lord Perry, owed its existence directly to the work of the S.J.C., and was proceeding apace with a comprehensive plan, details of which might be•availabie at an early date.
The A.R.O. was now interesting itself more actively in proposals for. co-operative working amongst groups of hauliers.