THE C.M.U.A. ANNUAL LUNCHEON
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ABOITT 300 members and guests of the Commercial Motor Users Association attended the annual luncheon, which was held last Wednesday at the Savoy Hotel.
Mr. C. le M. Gosselin,
M.Inst.T., president of the Association, was chairman. The guests included the Minister of Transport, the Home Secretary, the Treasurer of His Majesty's Household, Sir Eric Geddes, P.O., Sir Arthur Stanley, G.B.E. (chairman of the R.A.C.), Sir Malcolm Campbell, Major-General S. S. Long, C.B. (president-elect of the C.M.U.A.), M. Charles Blum (president, French C.M.U.A.), Sir Henry P. Maybury, Major-General gvan Gibb, C.B. (Director of Supplies and Transport), and Mr. W. H. Gaunt, O.B.E.
After the loyal toast, that of "His Majesty's Ministers" was given by Mr. Geo. Monro, C.B.E. (immediate pastpresident of the C.M.U.A.), who congratulated Mr. Morrison on his elevation to the Cabinet.
Mr. Herbert Morrison, in reply, referred to the great progress of the cora,mercial vehicle, and mentioned the important point that the increase in 1930 had Shown itself entirely in the lighter classes of vehicle, whilst those over 2 tons had shown a decrease. Many of his remarks were confined to the importance of fitting pneumatic tyres to all vehicles. He said that the speed limits set out were mare generous than those previously accorded and would be strictly enforced.
He referred to the great value of the advice given to him by the C.M.U.A., and paid a tribute to the secretary, Mr. F. G. Bristow, F.C.I.S.
He remarked that the industry was lucky in being ruled by regulations and not by statutes, "because the Ministry could always undo to-morrow the harm it had done to-day."
The toast of "'The Association" was given by Sir Eric Geddes, who mentioned that the C.M.U.A. is approaching its 30th birthday. To-day, its mem
bers own over 100,000 vehicles, but. he added, there is a need for great educative work to bring in the owners of the other 250,000 who are not represented.
His leading theme was the excessive taxation of road transport. He pointed out that the vehicle tax and petrol tax are equivalent to 11.5 per cent. of the total cost of the business, and that £84,000,000 has been taken out of motor, taxation, transferred to the general finance of the country, and not devoted to road purposes. "It would," he said, "appear almost as if successive Governments had determined to kill commercial-motor users in this country."
The toast was responded to by Mr. C. le M. Gosselin, who corroborated Sir Eric Geddes's statement regarding the burden of taxation. He referred also to the congestion and chaos in millyards, docks, etc., which will occur if a large number of small vehicles replaces the present small number of machines of large capacity.