Mr. Pybus's Secret Society
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AS a result of the meeting last week at the Ministry of Transport between Mr. P. J. Pybus, the Minister of Transport, accompanied by Lord Plymouth, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry, and representa tives of the four railway groups, the Standing Joint Committee of Meehanical Road Transport Associations, and the Long Distance Road Haulage -Association, it was agreed to set up a committee to investigate the facts relating to the total costs of the highway system, including the regulation of traffic, their incidenee, and the contributions of users of motor vehicles ; to report upon the nature. of -the regulation which should be applied to goods tiansport by road or rail, and to make recommendations to assist the two sides of the industry to carry out their functions under equitable conditions, which would adequately safeguard the interests of trade and industry. The committee is to report by the end of July.
The four railways are represented by their general managers or presidents, whilst the representatives of road transport comprise . Messrs. W. H. Gaunt, 0.B.E., C. le M. Gosselin, E. Graham Guest, J.P., and P. R. Turner.
Despite all that has been said against secret negotiations the first Condition which was imposed upon the meeting was a pledge of secrecy. The constitution of the committee has, however, let the cat out of the bag, and it has jumped to the side of the railways, for although we have every respect for the actual members representing road transport, it is obvious that the corn it is obvious that the corn -. mittee is •not frilly repre sentative of road interests. There has been some lamentable lack of co-operation between the latter, and the haulage interests have, to a great extent, been out amuv red.
No member of the Long Distance Road Haulage Association, nor of the Short Distance Hauliers Alliance, is on the committee, despite the fact that the status of the Long Distance Road Haulage Association 1V11 recognized by the Royal Commission on Transport, and it is undoubtedly an Association which is most virile in safeguarding the interests of road transport. Now, however, the long-distance . haulage is in the position of a criminal in the dock, with the members of the new committee sitting in judgment upon it, for it is this section of the industry which is the most competitive with the railways.
The Commercial Motor Users Association is a very, important body, but we fail to see why it should have two of its members on the new committee, whilst other representative associations, such as those mentioned above, have been passed over. In addition, Mr. F. G. Bristow, the general secre tary of the C.M.t.A., has been appointed secretary to the new committee, jointly with the secretary of the Railway Companies Association.
We demand that the constitution of the committee be revised • immediately, and either substitution made or further members co-opted, so that road-transport interests will be properly represented. This is no Unimportant matter, as the opinions to be expressed by the committee will undoubtedly have a profound influence upon any action to be taken by the Minister, and it is of the most vital importance that account should he taken Of the views of all sections of the industry. We have already expressed the opinion that those who utilize road transport for the conveyance of their raw materials and products should also have opportunities for stating their requirements in this direction.
In view of the fact that the terms of reference include the total costs of the roads and the proportions of the costs borne by the various sections of road users, it appears to us that the presence on the committee of at least one member representing passenger road transport interests is advisable, if not actually essential.