The Country's Transport Needs.
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AS TO THE present transport position in this country and its causes there was an obvious and sharp conflict of opinion between the deputation and the President of the Board of Trade.
The former stated their belief that the early'. needs of the country in respect of transport can be substantially filled by the output of the British industry, backed by the supply of Government vehicles that should be available for disposal. Sir Auckland Geddes, on the other hand, endeavoured to assume a popular role by taking for granted an acute shortage of transport only to be rernedied by unlimited imports. Ho talked of the high prices fetched by Government vehicles, but ignored the fact that these. prices are dropping rapidly and the contention that, if the Government chose, the vehicles could be marketed now in far greater numbers with the result. that the whole urgent demand would be filled and that prices would go down still further.
We are convinced that, owing to Departmental differences of opinion and policy, large numbers Of surphis vehicles which should be made available immediately are in fact being held up. One member of the deputatson stated quite candidly that, by a change of policy in this respect, the Government could promptly rectify the transport position. This we believe to be absolutely true.
Finally, we wish to protest once again against the system adopted by the present Government in which the cases of British industries are pre-judged before they are fully stated, and are answered by set speeches which amount to nothing more than a reiteration of a policy adopted tentatively, for no other reason than to hold more or less together the free traders and the tariff reformers who are alike pledged to support the Government. One by one, British industries are being sacrificed on the altar of opportunism. They are made something less than pawns in the great game of struggling for the retention of political power. Their importance is measured in votes rather than by any real consideration of their permanent -value • to the country.