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Stop This Persecution

5th June 1936, Page 25
5th June 1936
Page 25
Page 25, 5th June 1936 — Stop This Persecution
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

THE persecution of commercial vehicle drivers continues un checked. Magistrates still inflict outrageous fines on d rivers for technical offences, but no united action to remedy this abuse of the law appears to have been taken. The Commercial Motor is left to fight singlehanded for justice for the professional driver.

In a recent typical case, the Bench proposed to fine a man £10 and suspend his licence for two years for exceeding the speed limit, and it was only when the defendant, a married man, pointed out that he would be thrown out of employment, that the magistrates increased the fine to £12 and rescinded their decision to suspend the licence. In , another instance, a coach diiver was fined E7 for driving at 40 m.p.h., despite the fact that his em. ployment was irregular and he earned only 12s. 6d. a day. He was expected to keep a family and pay this harsh fine from a meagre publicassistance allowance!

Actions of this nature are bringing the name of British justice into contempt. Apart from this fact, they place the unfortunate individuals concerned in a position of grave temptation. A man who is unreasonably deprived of his livelihood or mulcted in excessive fines, under the guise of administering justice, cannot be expected to hold the law in high respect. Even the "criminal" commercialvehicle driver (" criminal" by virtue of his calling) must live, and if he be prevented from doing. so honestly, the public, which, by its apathy, permits these injustices to be perpetrated, must accept the possible consequences.

When the all-important matter of finally uniting the Commercial Motor Users Association and Associated Road Operators has been completed, the amalgamated organization must co-operate with the unions representing the men concerned in formulating a campaign to combat the legal victimization of commercial-vehicle drivers. The hardships which they suffer must be thoroughly ventilated in Parliament and tireless efforts made to put a stop, once and for all, to the vicious penalizing of decent citizens.


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