N.A.F.W.R. Clash With R.H.A. on User Terms
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THE National Association of Furniture Warehousemen and Removers have clashed with the Road Haulage Association over the question of normal user. The dispute was revealed by Mr. F. F. Babb, retiring president of N.A.F.W.R., at their annual conference at Bournemouth on Monday.
Although the R:H.A. wanted A licences to be unconditional and not subject to restrictions as represented by normal-user terms. the N.A.F.W.R. executive council wholly agreed that this would harm the removals industry.
Removers were satisfied with the implementation of the 1933 Act and considered that it had given a specialized trade some measure of "security,. said Mr. Babb. Stability would be reached when the last special-A licence expired, he added.
Mr. E. J. White (White's Removals and Transport, Ltd., Birmingham) said that N.A.F.W.R. members found it difficult to understand why the R.H.A. should desire to depart from the provisions of the 1933 Act. The Licensing Authorities and Transport Tribunal, particularly in recent decisions, had shown that there would be no departure from the policy which had governed their decisions over all the years of licensing.
Members Not Happy
He did not believe that all R.H.A. members were happy about the farreaching proposals which their association were recommending. Like the removers, there were other functional groups within the R.H.A., such as those of carriers of agricultural products and bulk liquids. He believed they would think on the same lines as removers.
Having declared their normal operations, they would not wish an A licence to be unconditional and permit an operator in one field to switch to another just when he wished.
The largest N.A.F.W.R. memberPickfords—had on their licence simply "furniture and effects," This was typical of the removal trade's acceptance of closely defined normal operation. Removers desired no change.
"1 hope that we shall stand our ground and that the R.H.A. will think again," stated Mr. White.