Hatter Bros. Oppose Wynn Tanker Bid
Page 32
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
MHEN Robert Wynn and Sons, of VI' Newport, successfully applied last week at Cardiff to the South Wales Licensing Authority, Mr. R. R. Jackson, to convert seven tankers on Contract A to open A licence with a "bulk liquids, Great Britain" user, they were opposed by a Metropolitan-based operator, Hatter Brothers (Bulk Haulage) Ltd.
Mr. Noel R. Wynn, secretary of the applicant company, told the L.A. that the vehicles—two rigid and five artic tankers—had been working under contract for the National Coal Board until the contract expired in June. Since then they had operated on short-term licence, and the intention was to use the vehicles for Tar Residuals Ltd. and Charringtons, as well as for the N.C.B.
Cross-examined by Mr. K. S. Morris, for Hatter Bros., Mr. Wynn agreed that if the application succeeded the vehicles could be used for any traffic anywhere in the country, although no additional vehicles would operate on the road.
Mr. Morris, in a long submission, said it was very significant that although the application was for a large number of A-licensed vehicles on a normal user which would not be bettered, it had not been objected to by any of the " usual " operators who objected to similar applications in other parts of the country. Referring by name to Thomas Allen Ltd., Davis Brothers (Haulage) Ltd., Harold Wood and Sons Ltd., James Hemphill Ltd., and Bulwark United Transport Ltd., Mr. Morris said that his company had been aware for some time that there appeared to be a measure of agreement between these operators.
"You find that the attitude is 'As long as I don't object to you, Jack, I hope you don't object to me '", Mr. Morris said, and added that he wondered whether anything like this could have happened in the case of the Wynn application.
His company, he went on, had been suffering from a very large overdose of objections to its applications. Bulwark United was one of the permanent objectors" to such applications, he said.
They operated large fleets of vehicles throughout the country under various guises and names and Wynn and Sons was one of the companies wholly owned by them.
"It is here, within a very short time of their being purchased that we see the old, familiar pattern which has taken place with Bulwark United over the past few years ", said Mr. Morris. Wynn and Sons were applying for extra vehicles which were limited in no way and could be loaded in any part of the country, making full use of subsidiaries' maintenance, administration and drivers.
The application had been made by Robert Wynn who, by getting a licence
with "Bulk liquids, Great Britain ", could
utilize the vehicles for any work within the group, the companies of which had intermixed directors. The managing director of all the companies, Mr. Morris continued, was the same. Hatter Bros.
had many vehicles standing idle, he said, and it did not seem right that Wynn and Sons could apply for extra licences.
After hearing further points made by Mr. Morris, Mr. Jackson said that he was satisfied that Wynn and Sons had made out a case for a grant.
(N. H. Tilsley will enumerate other points made by the objectors and comment on the case next week in Licensing Casebook.)