No National Socialism for Transport
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SOME time ago, in a leading article, we pinned the responsibility for the Government control of a large poi tiorNof our haulage industry on to Mr. Herbert Morrison. Comments made since then in official circles and elsewhere have not led us to reconsider this point, although it is quite possible that one or two other members of the Cabinet were more or less active supporters in the promotion of this scheme for a far greater control of road transport.
• We have always taken the view that the Cabinet was misled in this matter, and that -the whole scheme was quite unnecessary, as the results could have been achieved more easily and, at far less 'expense, in a simple way, which would have eliminated vast numbers of officials, forms and a huge quantity of paper, also without boosting up the position of the larger haulage concerns at the expense of the smaller men in the industry, who have been largely deprived of any real security.
Some of our readers may have noted, in the "Sunday Dispatch of October 10, an outspoken article by Miss Dorothy Crisp, in which she takes Mr. Morrison to task for his constantly expressed wish for the continuation, after the war, of various forms of control, of which, no doubt, one of the most important will be that for road transport.
An Object Lesson to be Studied We should ourselves have thought that the things that have happened during this war would have been a salutary lesson to anyone who formerly believed in the control of any industry through the medium of the Civil Service. That Service has proved to be a splendid hiding place for thousands of comparatively young men who could have done much better and more useful work in the Forces. Despite many calls for retrenchment in man power, it still grows at an alarming pace. We hear of more business premises and hotels being taken over, wholly or partially, to accomtnodate the million or so men and women who, in various ways, are endeavouring to control our present life and even our destiny. In fact we shall soon reach the stage when we have a State civilian employee for every real fighting man whom we can keep at a front. One could understand all this talk of the nationalization or greatly increased Government control of road transport if such a procedure had proved itself to be. necessary, but, frankly, we cannot believe that this was, or will be, the case. As Sir William V. Wood, President Executive L.M.S.R. and president of the Institute of Transport, said in his interesting address, "The proper course is' to consider the merits of what has been provided by private enterprise, to inquire whether it has, fallen short of public needs, and, if so, in what ways, and then whether the responsibility rests with its owners or with Parliament. When that is done—and only then—ii it possible to consider what further action is-required and the form it should take.
Operating Conditions Were Improving Admittedly, there was, before 1933, a' certain amount of unwelcome competition, particularly in the haulage side of the industry, but newcomers quickly learnt their lesson o; found themselves insolvent. Since that year, falowing the activities of the Regional Traffic Commissioners, haulage has been practically a stable industry, at least in so far as the numbers engted in it were concerned, and it was steadily improving to the point where rate-cutting was more talked of by the politically minded than real..
The average haulier had become almost an institution, co-operating in a friendly and satis-factor manner with those traders and industrialists whom he served. His clients made few, if any, complaints, whilst thousands sang his praises. Chambers of Commerce and other trade organizations all expressed. their appreciation of the way in which the haulage industry met their requirements and delivered the goods safely and rapidly, to the complete, satisfaction of sender and receiver.
The ancillary users, in -their thousands, and employing a far greater number of vehicles than the hauliers, discovered in road transport a means for the conveyance of their products and cornmodities which met their most exacting needs in a way which they had never before experienced. If haulage is to be controlled -still further, what is to happen to this other great section of the trade and industry of this country? Is it also to be restricted and forced to apply to the Government or to the railways every time a large or small load is to be carried?
Every user of road-transport vehicles for the conveyance of materials or goods should become an ardent apostle of freedom in this respect.. If this alarming tendency towards restriction be allowed to grow, it nay .become so powerful as to swamp any objection which may ultimately be raised.
To be a fully effective antagonist of post-war efforts to shackle the freedom for which we are fighting, all—those who wish to use road transport as well as its operators—must sink their individual differences and combine their efforts to form a mighty flood which will sweep away all the budding Hitlers who are endeavouring to institute those various forms of national socialism. These are, apparently, intended to control our actions from the cradle to the grave, and to kill that spirit of adventure which has done so much to mould our national characterand build our Empire.
We Must not allow ourselves to be subjugated by politicians such as those who, by their blindness to world affairs and to British interests, advocated or enforced the drastic and dangerous reduction of our national strength. They thus left our country virtually a prey to the whims of foreign dictators, from which position we escaped only through the intervention of Providence and the bringing into power of that great personality, our present Prime Minister.
The "C.M." League of Servicemen
A NUMBER of inquiries, both verbal and written, has reached us concerning The "-C.M." League of Servicemen. Many people have alreadyexpressed great appreciation of this scheme, and some have accepted our view that if every important' industry, started a similar body, with its simple form of index, a considerable amount of anxiety felt by those in the Forces wouldbe relieved, as thy would be brought to realize that they were not being forgotten,'but that the people at home were studying their interests and planning for their re-employment.
It ig-the opinion of many keen observers that the more personal attention which could, in this way, be given by each industry to 'its potential employees would be considerably better than the development of a single huge and machine-like' scheme entirely controlled by the Government through the medium of the Civil Service.
There are not wanting indications that the Ministry of Labour will eventually want to have details of every position available and of the person who eventually fills it. Even if 'this gigantic plan be put into operation, no obstruction should be put in the way'of any system, such as that we have devised, which should be able quickly to find personnel most suited to -meet the needs of employers.
If a number of such Leagues were instituted, this would relieveibthe Government of a great amount of trouble. If egsential, positions lled could be notified to the Labour Exchanges or to other Departments of the Ministry. There may be official objections from those who want to control our careers from birth to death, but we do not believe that such `," finger-printing" of employees and employer would satisfy either. • As regards the reception of our suggestion, we learnt by chance that one important commercialvehicle manufacturing concern, which prepares and sends out to all its ex-employees in the Forces an informative little bulletin, has included details of the League in this. Other concerns in the industry might well follow this good example, for the larger our Service Index can become the 'greater will be its potential power and usefulness.
Already we have received a number of entries from Servicemen stationed in this country, but we expect considerably more from overseas when details reach the troops. We may mention in this connection that we are endeavouring to establish further contacts abroad.
' For the information of those who may not have read our previous remarks on the League, we would point out that to join it all that is necessary is to write to " Service Index," care of the Editor, giving full name, private address, experience and qualifications in brief, whether the writer has had previous employment in the commercial or private side of the motor industry, and the position for which he considers himself to be best suited. Only members of the Forces and who are qualified for the positions to which they aspire are eligible.