Bird's Eye View By The Hawk
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Hot War in the Cold North
"E" OLLOWING the vigorous presentation of the views of the
Canadian Trucking Association before the Royal Commission on Transportation, wh:ch lasted 133 days and produced some five million words, comes the news that the C.T.A. is now in the fourth week of a battle to try to prevent the nationally owned Canadian National Railways from acquiring another road transport company, the Midland Superior Express, Ltd.
The C.T.A. never lets up in its struggle with the great Canadian railway systems. It attacks subsidies, preferential rates exclusive to shippers by rail, "piggybacks" (because they are a subtle means of getting everything back on rail) and road haulage take-overs.
It opposes take-overs because it believes that unprofitable railway lines will be replaced by railway owned road haulage monopolies. Even without monopoly operations, it sees these firms as being capable of being able to put all free enterprise operators on the same routes out of business by rate-cutting.
The militancy of the combatants makes the English road-rail controversy look like a cold tea party.
Cash Customers
LAST week's public inquiry in London in which Securicor (Southern), Ltd., the armoured car cash carriers, were seeking another 10 vehicles for three of their branches, was described by Mr. K. D. Erks:ne, their managing director, as be:ng part of the battle to beat the bandits.
Seeing the array of representatives from a very large number n30
of objecting cash carriers, I heard one witness for the company say that the sitting looked like an armoured battle itself.
These marathon armoured vehicle clashes are strange things for traffic courts. One day such vehicles will no doubt be exempt from the licensing procedure altogether. Everybody seems to admit the need for them—rather like hearses, which are exempt.
After all, they only want to carry money; but, I suppose, the answer is: "Who doesn't? "
i't Hang the Minister
NISTERS of Transport come in for a go'od deal of hearty triticism, whatever the country. In South America, where lets frequently finish up in a dungeon or on a lamp-post, ; presumably very much the case. But the South American gallant as he is revolutionary. What, then, could be more than the recent decision of the Colombian Government, ving a long-drawn-out "crisis," to install in the post of ;port Minister a lady named Esmeralda?
fact that only this appointment in the whole Cabinet has to a lady seems to prove that the post is where the 3ns of a woman are needed most. This method may be iered unfair, but might even in these boorish climes mean !ursing about taxes and licences and re-de-renationalization 1 be brought down to the sotto voce.
tatever the case may be, I'm sure this Latin American ter will be safe from the lamp-post, at any rate.
oke Screen
E must be very confusing for bus passengers in Carlisle to fancy a smoke while they ride. United Automobile ;es, Ltd., and Western S.M.T. Co., Ltd., put notices in e-deckers requesting no smoking in the lower saloon. ver,if anyone refuses to comply, conductors will not the point, according to statements that have been made ;al newspapers.
the other hand, Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., allow the 3 be lit. It all seems very confusing to me. Perhaps the aissioners should work out a joint policy wherever services rovided by more than one undertaking within the same toundaries.