Initial Success of Hauliers' Mutual Federation
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E new association, Hauliers' 1 Mutual Federation, Ltd., the membership of which is limited to professional hauliers only, opened its campaign at Leicester on Wednesday of last week, being followed by a second meeting at Luton two days later. Both meetings were successful.
At Leicester more than 50 per cent. •• .of those present became members and
paid their first annual subscription on , the spot. At Luton 100 per cent. of those present enrolled, At Leicester the meeting Was under ths chairmanship of hfr. Frank Lucas, who is chairman of the Federation, He was supported by Messrs. J. Arnold Kirby, N. Crafford and J. Stiff. At Luton the chairman was Mr. P. R. Williams, and there were present Messrs. F. Lucas, A. Mtieks, E. B. Howes, C. Thompson, J, Stiff and an audience representing approximately 70 per cent, of all the operators in that district. The principal speaker at both meetings was Mr. H. Scott Hall.
Mr. Scott Hall described the constitution of the new Federation. In the initial stages, he said, those who did the pioneer work had two problems to solve—(a) to ensure that the Federation should have 4 preponderating membership and, thus, be truly representative, . (b) that that membership, once gained, should be retained and with it,the interest of the members.
• The first problem was solved . by making the annual subscription so low that . it could not be an obstacle. membership. That solution, the agreement on a small annual subscription, involved the risk implicated in the secohd problem, namely,. that many members, havingspaid a small subscription, would take ins further interest. It was to ensure the maintenance of that intw-est that I lie unit • of the Federation was to. be the local group of hauliers linked together for their own business interests. In that way their regular and frequent attendance at meetings would be ensured and their continued interest maintained. •
Answering questions he stated.that the method of the formation of individfial groups was to be as elastic as possible. It was known that the majority of operators was already working in ' agreement with others and that there . were huudreds of groups,. formal or informal, already in exiateece. It was ' not proposed to interfere with existing groups or to attempt to control their organizations. . . .
He. emphasized That the immediate objective of • the -Federation. was a membership -.which numerically, would justify the claim to be truly representative of the industry.