BY A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Page 45
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FOR the time being at least, the Road Haulage Association will not engage in a political battle with the Socialist Party over the threat to renationalize long-distance haulage. They will answer the challenge by " commercial " publicity designed to convince the public of the advantages of free-enterprise road haulage. Details of the campaign have yet to be settled.
The R.H.A. have already held conversations on the subject with representatives of industry and labour and with politicians. They will be careful not to exhaust their ammunition before the next General Election campaign. begins.
In any event, the Socialists have not yet indicated what they mean by longdistance road haulage. It would be unwise to assume that they still have in mind the 1947 pattern. Indeed, they probably do not know themselves exactly what they intend.
Mr. R, G. Crowther, national chairman, will make a statement on the subject in opening the Association's conference at Rothesay on October 15. A resolution embodying the Association's policy on renationalization will then be put to delegates.
This may overtake the first resolution on the agenda. which 'calls for an approach to the main political parties " with a view to discussing the possibility of formulating a policy whereby road transport is no longer a political issue." As no party can ever commit a future government, any action taken on the lines of the resolution would be bound to fail.