Nil Desperandum
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THE attitude which we have adopted towards the nationalization of road transport ever since this Socialist policy was first mooted, and particularly following the publication, in 1933, of Mr. Herbert Morrison's book, "Socialization and Transport," has been well known. That it has been appreciated in the transport industry and elsewhere is proved by the continuously increasing demand for this journal.
We know that a fair proportion of those who, in the main, have Socialist inclinations, is included in our readership, but, surprising as it may seem, protests against our policy have been remarkably few. We take this to indicate that, however enthusiastic the Socialists may be in respect of the absorption by the State of other industries, many have been doubtful concerning the advisability of the inclusion of road transport in part or as a whole, which feeling has been by no means discouraged by the experience which has already been gained in this connection.
At one time the bulk of the employees, apart from executives, might be said to have favoured acquisition, whilst most of the remainder were probably impartial. Even with them, however, the situation has been changing as the effects of nationalization have begun to he felt in steadily increasing measure.
Drivers Prefer Former Conditions There can be little doubt that many drivers, and their mates, are disgruntled, if not extremely, dissatisfied, and any high hope which they may have held as to possible improvements in their conditions and prospects have been rudely shattered. As a consequence, they are naturally lacking in enthusiasm and becoming dispirited. Many of them are earning far, less than they did in the days of free enterprise. There have been complaints regarding the long periods during which they are kept away from their homes, and those little rewards for keenness in obtaining return loads and new business are conspicuously absent—in fact, they have become, in many instances, mere cogs in a huge machine.
We do not say that in the past they did not have certain grievances, but they were able to take these at once to the "boss" and, failing satisfaction, they could find employment with some other operator. Now, so far as those under State control are concerned, there are innumerable " bosses," most of whom are powerless to do more than make recommendations to still higher chiefs; and there is only one operator. Therefore, it is a question of either working for the State or leaving it entirely and endeavouring, like so many others, to obtain positions with local hauliers, ancillary users or in fields divorced from road transport.
There have been suggestions that we are flogging -a dead horse, that nationalization is now the law, and that we should recognize the futility of con-tinuing to fight for freedom, Persecution Under Bad Law We do not take that view. This law is bad. It is also one that has resulted in great suffering to many thousands of honest, industrious and respectable citizens. They had built up successful businesses only to have them filched from them at prices so low as to reduce many to a financial position little better than that held by them before their concerns grew to the proportions at which they stood, when they were taken over. They were men—and, in some cases, women—whose lives were almost entirely connected with road transport and who had, in general, little hope of rebuilding their careers in other spheres in competition with those long experienced in these. Some have perforce accepted much less remunerative positions than those they previously held, some have emigrated, and others are fighting a hard battle in the restricted area permitted under the Transport Act.
We would be traitors both to them and to ourselves if we blandly accepted an order of things which we believe to be wrong and against the best interests of the Nation. We are conv-inced that considerably over half our nationals did not, and do not, want road transport to become part of the colossus. Certainly, almost all the leaders of trade and industry were against the move, and have no reason to change their views in this respect. They see with alarm the rising costs, the delays, the lack of personal attention, the extra expense to which they are put in packaging (partly due to the delay in returning empty cases) and the increasing prevalence of theft and damage. No doubt nationalized road transport could survive and could even be forced to compensate to a considerable degree for losses in other forms of transport, because if allowed to continue it would have no competitor except in the shortdistance field—but at what a cost to those who would pay the piper without being permitted to call the tune! There is, however, still the hope that a change of Government might make all the difference. The Conservatives have given a definite promise that road haulage will be denationalized if that Party returns to power, and, at least in this respect, they are likely to be backed by the enlightened Liberal elements. They claim that this return to free enterprise could be achieved, despite the obvious difficulties, and there is little doubt that this promised move will be one of the main planks in the Party's programme for the next General Election.