The Luton Rebellion
Page 18
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LUTON, for the third time in a brief period, is in the news. Luton it was that started the movement which culminated', last year, in the adjourned annual general meeting of A.R.O., at which the first Government Haulage Scheme was so heartily condemned ; it was the originator of the new haulage association, Hauliers' Mutual Federation, and now has t mphatically proclaimed its discontent and dissatisfaction with what the A.R.O. has done and is doing, or, more precisely, what the Association has left undone and is continuing to leave undone. It has gone to the length of passing a vote of no confidence in the National Director and Executive Council of A.R.O. • The subjects of the charges which are laid at the door of that Association are set Out in detail in the address by Mr. E. B. Howes, which is reported on page 333. The list of" offences" is a long one. No doubt there will be answers to some of the items, but we doubt if they will prove to be to the entire satisfaction of the complainants.
There can be no disguising the fact that the real reason for the seeming lack of activity on the part of the executive of the Association lies not so much in the dilatoriness of its leaders as in one fundamental disability of the Associatkm itself, in that it does not so positively represent the professional side of the road haulage industry as to be in a position to demand, rather than plead for, the ear of the Government or any Government department.
We fear that uhtil the membership of the A.R.O. is very considerably increased or until some association arises which, by reason of its numerical strength, can take that strong line, the reasonable desires of the rank and file of the industry will go unsatisfied and their disabilities be overlooked.
There can be no doubt that the root of much of the trouble which has arisen throughout the industry, the cause of most of the dissatisfabtion, is the secrecy which has prevailed at headquarters. We have referred to that subject again and again in the past, and events continue to confirm our conviction that the policy of secrecy is entirely wrong. It is true that the executive of A.R.O. plead that secrecy was forced upon them—at least, in so far as discussion of these Government schemes was concerned. To that we would reply that, failing some proof that disclosure of the facts would have helped the enemy, which is patently absurd, they should have insisted on their right— indeed, their bounden duty—to disclose to their members some infolination concerning developments which so closely affected their welfare. Presumably the answer to that is the one we have already given, that the Associationis not sufficiently representative to be able to take so strong a line, which brings us back, in complete circle, to the view that very little can be done for the haulage industry, in its relations with the Government, until it has an association which is truly and numerically representative.
It is not easy to see .what is likely to be -the result of the defection of the Luton contingent ; it may presage similar action in other parts of the country, or it may fizzle out entirely. At the very least, however, it will give others furiously to think, and that in itself is a very good thing.