H.M.F. Gets Busy in the West Country
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LAST week, Hauliers Mutual FederaLation further extended its prestige and membership in the West Country when meetings were held at Exeter and Plymouth.
At Exeter, Mr. F. Lucas, chairman of the Provisional • Council of the Federation, referred to the Government scheme, its implications and its probable reactions on the rank and file of the indatry. He drew an analogy betvieen it and the previous Government Scheme telling how the . old scheme had acted to the detriment, of the local operator, pointing the moral by citing actual examples. The new scheme,' he -said, was likelY to be an even more effective inethOd of weeding out the small operator, Mr. H. Scott Hall, secretary, reminded his listeners that, as " S.T.R." of
The 'Commercial Motor" he had 'fought for the small haulier for 22 years. The current tendency to eliminate the small operator aod to place power in the hands of the large ones was, intentionally or not, being I fostered by the Government schemes. If allowed to continue uninterrupted they would inevitably deprive the industry of its strongest weapon and its most valuable asset—its indi
viduality. For that reason he called on all those present to join, the Federation and; by making it numerically strong, put it in a position to fight for the industry as a whole.
Mr. Nelson, of Liverpool, a member.. of the Provisional Council,: suggested, that the Government, before it interfered with the haulage industry and tried to teach that, industry how to run its vehicles, should put its own house in , order, particularly with regard to efforts to reduce' expenclit are in fuel and tyres. .
Mr: F. Vaughan, also of Liverpool, a, member of the Federation, stressed the importance of every mernber dOing his bit to help forward the Work of the Federation. This was the way they were operating in Lancashire where, as the result of individual efforts of everyone-concerned, the Federation membership, was increasing. . • At Plymeuth, where the audience was smaller, the same representations ivere.put forward by the same Speakers. On a show of hands the meeting was seen to be unanimous in its support. of the Federation ancla promise was given that a local committee would be formed to go ahead with the work of forming local groups.