The ChallengE of the 70s
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SCOTTISH island removals, braking regulations and the training of office staff were three of the Wide range of topics discussed by members of the National Association of Furniture Warehousemen and Removers at their well-attended annual conference in Edinburgh on Monday and Tuesday. This was followed on Wednesday by the annual conference of the British Association of Overseas Furniture Removers.
With many organizations and trade associations realizing that there is a vital need for a reappraisal of their achievements and future objectives, the opening paper presented to the national conference was singularly appropriate. Entitled "The Study Group and its Problems", it was introduced by Mr. G. F. Pygall, Pickfords Ltd.
In considering such problems the area for investigation was immense, Mr. Pygall admitted, but the job had to be done if, as an industry, they were to have control of their own development.
Since he had become a member of the Association study group he hoped that they could cut through the mass of procedural routine built up over the years, eliminate all the in-built prejudice and, in fact, give the Association "a hefty kick into the daylight of 'the second half of the twentieth century". But progress had not been as fast as he would have liked.
The first meeting of the group had been in February last year when they agreed on six meetings a year but they realized now how naive they had been when they drew up their original timetable. This was because unlike the tasks allocated to other committees, the study group had to deal not only with the problems created by the system and supply an answer with the help of precedent, but it had to look at the system itself.
The subjects needing investigation included conditions of trading in the industry, including the law of contract, conditions of membership and the Association's by-laws. Other subjects included the structure of the Association, its fundamental objects and developments, together with its relationship with other associations.
Commenting on the law of contract, Mr. Pygall said that while one set of conditions to cover all activities was obviously the ideal answer, it was not quite as easy as that. Moreover, now that a Law Commission had been appointed to look at the law of contract it was obvious that their findings must affect any recommendations the group might make.
Another outside influence to be taken into account was the International Furniture Removers Conditions prepared by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. These were already in use by the Italian Association for both internal and external removals and eventually NAFWR members could be affected.
Mr. Pygall said he had seen some criticism of the new RI-IA conditions of carriage particularly in so far as concerned claims liabilities, so that insurers were asking for higher premiums. But whether this criticism is valid or not Mr. Pygall said that it did illustrate the need to proceed with caution in this matter.
The group had also discussed at great length by-law 6 appertaiMrig to restrictions on advertising. While they had not yet reached a stage where definite recommendations could be made the group was agreed that revision was necessary so that some of the controversy could be resolved from this by-law.
New Set-up Advocated During discussions by delegates after Mr. Pygall's paper, the need for a completely new set-up for the removal industry in Britain, was advocated by Mr. Arthur Edwards, newly elected senior vice-president. UK entry into Europe would compel this, he said.
Giving an overseas view, Mr. Lamer Gore, Security Storage Co., Washington, USA, insisted that now was the ideal time with the Law Commission considering conditions ' of carriage and possible entry into Europe for the removal industry of Britain to publicize its forward-looking plans for the future. Training of office staff both at present and in the future was the subject of a paper given by Mr. H. 0. Holgate (Holgate of Southall Ltd.), when opening the afternoon session of the conference on Monday.
During the winter months, said Mr. Holgate, on average 20/30 men were attending weekly classes in connection with the Institute of the Furniture Warehousing and Removing Industry while a further 30/40 made use of postal courses.
Currently, the curriculum included general office organization, vehicle and labour costing, estimating theory and removal planning. Particular emphasis was given to the larger long-distance removals, short sea removals, warehousing, contract conditions, legal problems, overseas removals and insurance. In addition, oral class students had the benefit of practical instruction in estimating and, with the aid of the models, instruction in furniture handling and vehicle loading.
Mr. Holgate maintained the men studied because they were interested in their job and wanted to do it more efficiently. In con sequence they hoped to enhance their prospects or, if they were self-employed or already in managerial positions, to build bigger and more-efficient organizations.
But after 10 years of teaching Mr. Holgate was emphatic in his view that employers did not give such men sufficient encourage ment. While some industries spent large sums on training and education many removers begrudged even the cost of the educational course and would not dream of offering a young employee his fare or out-of-pocket expenses. As to monetary incentive, surely it was not too much. Mr. Holgate continued, to ask for some tangible appreciation to be shown to a man who had given much of his leisure time to learn what must be to the remover's advantage.
To effect an improvement a first requirement was to pay much higher wages and so attract better educated staff. Secondly, for staff not so well educated, additional training facilities should be provided particularly in the English language, including elocution, and in business administration.
With the advent of the Industrial Training Act, the Institute had a tremendous task and it needed more than the present financial help it was already getting from the NAFWR. It needed the moral support of delegates Mr. Holgate declared, including attendance at meetings and overall encouragement of their staff. If the objects of the Institute were not achieved the standards of management and service would deteriorate rapidly and subsequently the rewards.
Office removals procedure was examined by Mr. A. H. Appleton (Bullens Organization Ltd.). He emphasized that it was essential for removers to go out and get the work. He told delegates they could not sit waiting by the 'phone for prospective customers to offer them this type of business. He had known of new office blocks being built alongside established removers who had done nothing about such potential custom on their very doorstep while his organization had travelled 100 miles or so to do the job.
It was up to an office remover to make contact with local authorities in anticipation of building demolition or alternatively construction which might imply office removals two years or more ahead.
Scottish island removals
The problems involved in effecting household removals to some of the 120 inhabited islands adjacent to the West and North coasts of Scotland were examined by Mr. A. M. Blackwood (John H. Lunn Ltd.) when opening the business session on Tuesday afternoon.
The islands in this area fell into five groups: Orkneys, Shetlands, Inner Hebrides, Outer Hebrides and islands in the Clyde area. The Caledonian Steam Packet Co. operated the Stranraer to Larne service. It also ran services to islands in the Clyde and operated the ferry between Kyle of Lochalsh and Kyleadin Skye. Macbraynes operated steamer and car ferry services to the Inner and Outer Hebrides and other islands such as Gigha.
It was also possible, said Mr. Blackwood, to charter small cargo motor boats from Mallaig which they themselves did in connection with a removal from Rhum to Edinburgh.
On the east coast the North of Scotland Ship Co. operated from Leith and Aberdeen to Kirkwall and Stromness in the Orkneys, and Lerwick, the main town in Shetland. In contrast to Macbraynes this latter company was not subsidized.
Emphasizing the growth of motor ferry traffic between Scotland and Northern Island, Mr. Blackwood said that as recently as the late 1950s British Railways had thought of scrapping the Stranraer to Larne service, but last year 8,000 people and 1,500 vehicles made the crossing every week. With the addition of another vehicle this year this route would have a daily capacity of 500 vehicles and 5,000 passengers. The vessels would make the 33-mile crossing in 135 minutes four times a day in each direction.
In the Clyde area removal contractors were well supplied with modern ferries. To and from the Isle of Arran there was a reasonable amount of movement of hotel owners, retired business and professional people. The ferry operated between Fairlie and Brodick three times a day and could carry 1,500 cu. ft. vehicles. Contractors had to allow between £27 and £30 per 1,500 cu. ft. vehicles going over and returning empty.
Any removals done to the island of large Cu mbrae were difficult because the ferry stayed at the pier for only half an hour to unload vehicles so limiting their capacity to 1,200 Cu, ft.
Although Dunoon could be reached by road, time and mileage could be saved by using the ferry from Wemyss Bay, the charge for the loaded vehicles being approximately £15.
Many of the Hebridean removals had to be carried out by lift vans per Macbraynes, Glasgow, and these vans must not exceed 700 cu. ft. or 5 tons.
There was no problem with removals to the Isle of Skye. The normal ferry used was via Kyle of Lochalsh. The main roads in Skye were in good condition, Mr. Blackwood continued, and the mileage from Glasgow to Kyle of Lochalsh was approximately 190. The ferry charge was approximately £5 for a large 1,500 Cu. ft. vehicle.
Unfortunately there were no roll-on roll-off ferries to the Shetland and Orkney Islands so that removals had to be done by lift vans. These islands were served from Leith and Aberdeen and the usual limit was three to five tons. His company dealt extensively with the Shetlands and had effected delivery under appalling conditions.
The clear distinction between plating of vehicles by manufacturers under Construction and Use Regulation 28 due to come into force on January 1 1968 and the plating of vehicles by the Ministry under the provisions of the Road Safety Bill was set out by Mr. D. E. Baker, senior engineer, Ministry of Transport, when addressing the conference on "Maintenance and the New Braking Regulations".
The former plate was required by all new vehicles of the prescribed classes after the effective date. Without such a plate those vehicles could not take advantage of the provision of Regulations 70 and 71 which allowed higher operating weights by properly braked vehicles and combinations.
There was, however, nothing in the Regulations to say that the weights shown on such a plate were not to be exceeded. Ministry plating under the provisions of the Road Safety Bill now being examined in the House of Lords, on the other hand, would be accompanied by regulations making it an offence for a vehicle of a class to which such plating was applied by the Minister to operate without a plating certificate or to exceed the Ministry plated weights. BAOFR CONFERENCE "The Challenge of the 70s" was the subject of the opening paper at the first business session on Wednesday of the annual conference of the British Association of Overseas Furniture Removers. It was delivered by Mr. D. J. Blatchford (Blatchfords Packers and shippers Ltd.).
With ever more sophisticated communication, coupled with the continuing population explosion, the future for overseas removers as a world-wide industry was secure. But only by keeping pace with the times could they survive individually.
They must recognize the changes in household movement. Apart from shipments of antiques which would still maintain their capacity per shipment ratio, most other household consignments were reducing in size and, Mr. Blatchford believed, this trend would continue.
These changes would mean a different ratio between packing, documentation and freight, which would inevitably increase the overhead content of an estimate.
'The number of consignments would inevitably lead to greater interest in standard and mechanized documentation. Most important of all, continually spiralling-handling and freight costs would lead them into studying new methods and modes of carriage, to prevent distribution costs from exceeding the value of the goods and so making shipments prohibitive. This, Mr. Blatchford warned delegates, was the danger to the removal industry and they must face this challenge.
This could only be achieved by facing the future together. Much had been said to the disadvantage of van lines but he was convinced that the basic concept was correct. Collectively they could move traffic More efficiently to any destination and this meant greater profits. But he was not advocating losing individual identities because they provided a very personal service—a service of trust with sentimental, personal possessions. Mr. Blatchford believed that their association could, by the introduction of functional groups, achieve this end.
Transport developments pointed to a much greater mixing of nationalities than previously and the introduction of new services was bound to affect all members. In the past their industry had preferred to work in isolation with each company developing its own speciality routes and many of the smaller companies just dabbling in overseas removals. None of them could afford this insular thinking in the future, Mr. Blatchford believed. Even the larger companies would need each other to meet this challenge. By discussion and exchange of ideas, standardizing of packing methods and material, they could increase their efficiency and reduce costs.
Their association, Mr. Blatchford advocated, should therefore lead the way by the introduction of action or functional groups. If they failed to meet this challenge they could well find that an international removal group would be created using non-association members, which could threaten the very existence of their association.
The various groups would be self-supporting by payment of additional fees to ensure material and active participation. Membership would, however, be optional so that if a larger firm was prepared to go it alone they would be virtually competitors. There could be opposition from members already operating particular runs but surely, Mr. Blatchford concluded, it made sense if by such grouping they were then able to operate vehicles at 90 per cent capacity instead of 70 per cent.