Public servant who made a profit
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by Arthur SherlockMesher 'T IS NO accident that until us retirement from the Natiokal Freight Corporation on )ecember 31, Sir Daniel Pettit vas one of the longest-serving ;tate-enterprise chairmen. He vas the perfect round peg in a ound hole.
He is a transport man who an see the good in both road nd rail but is not blind to the luks of either. Speaking of rte formation of the NFC 10 ears ago he said: "It was a bold but visionary tep to bring road and rail loser together in the first lace . . . although it started y having some of the ttributes of a forced marriage t] has turned out to be a uitful relationship and, I beeve, essential to the welling of the freight industry this country."
Sir Daniel avoided the Aitical storms that engulfed rme of his peers in other ltionalised industries, partirlarly those with delicate bour problems. There may we been three main reasons. e is undoubtedly politically Iroit. The Ministers of -ansport with whom he had deal were also reasonable en. Above all, however, he rew exactly what he was )ing.
There have, of course, been olitical pressures. The NFC ight not have undertaken me of its ill-starred ventures the Continent if it had not en Government policy to ow Britain's good intentions Europe. Having "done a Inkirk," the corporation will .vertheless exploit the tropean transport industry • sound commercial lines ienever the opportunity ocrs.
fiir Daniel was a member of ?• original committee that led the setting up of the corpo.ion and was on its board im the outset. He succeeded • Reginald Wilson as airman in 1971. The corporation's fortunes have varied greatly since that time but Sir Daniel has handed over to his successor, Bobbie Lawrence, an organisation which in 1978 achieved its best financial result since 1973 and is likely to have made a net profit after meeting all charges. Unlike some other nationalised enterprises, it has done so without imposing extortionate charges and a declining standard of service on an exasperated public. How many new chairmen of nationalised industries have received such a flying start?
Although he will not be able to lead the development of new technology in the NFC, Sir Daniel will not be lost to the transport industry. He is high in the counsels of many trade, industrial and professional bodies and will continue to take a lively interest in them.
The latest honour to be bestowed on him is an invitation to become an honorary member of the Road Haulage Association, joining Sir Reginald Wilson and G. W. Quick Smith, a former deputy chairman of the NFC, in that small exclusive coterie.
The man who was once a master at Highgate School and is now, among many other things, a main-board director of Lloyds Bank, has also had a distinguished career in cricket and football. I asked Sir Daniel whether he was going to spend much of his time on the golf course now that he was officially retiring. "I gave up golf when I was 18," he said, adding with a wicked grin: "My handicap was six and I thought it was too easy!"
At one time he was concerned with personnel matters in Unilever and on a visit to Liverpool he was asked to advise on how to deal with a young man on the traffic staff who fell asleep on the job. It appeared that the youngster played in a band that did a weekly all-night gig, to the detriment of his work for Unilever.
Sir Daniel (then Mr) explained to him that if he applied himself diligently to his job he might eventually become a loading-bank supervisor whereas a career in popular music was unstable and held all kinds of unspeakable temptation. He couldn't have his cake and eat it. Thus one of the Beatles was fired.
As we chatted at a dinner given to the Press to mark the 10th anniversary of the NFC my mind went back 30 years to its ancestor, the British Transport Commission, which had just been born under the chairmanship of its architect, Sir Cyril (later Lord) Hurcomb. Such a friendly,, relaxed occasion would not have been possible in those days.
The Press was generally hostile to the BTC and the news conference that attended the publication of the Commission's annual report was always politically highly charged. I was among those who joyfully lent fuel to the fire.
Sir Cyril had the distinguished Civil Servant's aloofness from the Press and was as evasive as he was courteous. A good deal of perseverance was needed to get a straight answer to a straight question, but when he ran his fingers through his hair an experienced observer knew that he was about to crack.
A scheme to nationalise road passenger transport in the North East of England was projected and the editor of a now-defunct monthly journal asked Sir Cyril whether he would carry on with it in the face of fierce public opposition. He received the usual oblique reply but he persevered.
As the conference was closing and journalists were leaving, Sir Cyril was asked yet again: "Would you nationalise road passenger transport despite public hostility?" He sighed, ran his fingers through his hair and answered: "Yes."
Only the questioner and I heard him. Having a great advantage over a monthly, Commercial Motor was able to publish the story that week and had a scoop that was widely quoted by the Omnibus Passengers' Protection Association and others.
The NFC under both Sir Reginald and Sir Daniel has never stood in that sour relationship with the Press. With normal commercial reservations it has generally been co-operative and has identified itself with the rest of the road transport industry. With Brian Cottee, a former editor of CM, as its head of information and link man with the Press, that comradeship is certain to continue.