What the Associations are Doing
Page 37
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'Brighton—and After
By S. H. Jardine, Secretary, C.M.U.A. Metropolitan Area
S.T.R. Addresses B.S.A.T.A.
By special invitation of the central committee, S,T.R., The Commercial Motor costs expert, addressed the halfyearly general meeting of the Ballast, Sand and Allied Trades Association, at Olympia, London, on Monday.
S.T.R. took the Association's own schedule of costs and rates as his theme. He complimented the Association on the production of such a practical and useful publication. He then proceeded to deal with difficulties which he knew must arise in persuading members -that they must use the figures in the schedules if they were really to make a profit from their haulage operations.
Manchester Vehicle-parade Entries Closing.
Entries for the C.M.U.A. Manchester Area vehicle parade which takes place on Saturday. October 17, at the Speedway Car Park, Belle Vue, Manchester, will close on October 14, and completed forms should be sent to Mr. H. H. Lapsley, Commercial Motor Users Association, 28, Queen Street, Manchester. Judges for the competition have been selected from outside the Manchester area.
Waiting Vehicles in West Sussex.
A public inquiry was held at the Council House, Chichester, on Septemher 30, in connection with an application for confirmation of an order concerning waiting vehicles made by West Sussex County Council, under Section 46 (2) of the Road Traffic Act, 1930. The National Association of Furniture Warehousemen and Removers was represented by its legal advisers and Mr. E. A. Harris, its secretary. NAUCH has been written regarding althe Commercial Motor Users Association's Confersnce at Brighton. My strongest impression of the event is one of amazement at the attendance at, and interest taken in, the business sessions. The conference is over. What now?
There is not the sIighest doubt that the road user is facing, to-day, the greatest fight of his existence. It matters not whether he be an operator
of 1,000 vehicles or one. Do many 3 oad users in this country realize that they are being told just how they must send their goods? The gloves are off, but many small operators are still slow to appreciate th vital meaning of those words.
With sufficient support, the new C.M.U.A. will be able to make its voice heard in the admlnistration of the in
dustry. Many people think that an association exists merely for their persona! benefit. One is always hearing the remark : "What has the association done for me? "
Operators of this kind do not realize that association officers consider carefully all draft regulations and make representations to the Minister of Transport where necessary. The man in the street does not realize that members of committees have their own interests to look after, yet they are prepared to devote hours of their time for the benefit of the industry as a whole. Let us drop this petty outlook and take off our coats to the work that lies ahead.
The day cannot be far distant when manufacturers, distributors, dealers and the C.M.U.A. will work more closely together, because the interests of all are concerned with one object, road transport. Surely if the owner of a big fleet considers that it is in his interests to belong to an association, how much more necessary must representation be for the small owner.
Much can be accomplished by wholehearted co-operation, but nothing can be done withou_ it. One of my strongest impressions of the conference was the serious concern felt by all present for the future of road transport.
I appeal to all operators to join the association and help in securing a fair deal for the industry. Then the Brighton Conference will not have been in vain.