Intimidation—Not Constructive Discussion
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IN response to your request for first-hand information A on this subject, my personal experience may be of interest to you and of assistance to other readers who may be considering a similar conference.
First, let me explain that my firm are engaged in household removals and therefore our transport, one van only at present, is being operated under a B licence, with unrestricted area.
Our application is for an additional liceoce on similar conditions.
In view of the reports on, and correspondence received from the sub-committee, my brother and I attended the conference with every wish to discuss the matter on a friendly basis and to do our best to reach an agreement.
At first the attitude appeared friendly and constructive. Details and reasons for our application were asked and given, but then we were requested to retire while the committp discussed the application—not with us, but in our absence. We then realized that the whole procedure was not so friendly and constructive as we had been led to believe, but merely a brazen attempt to intimidate us On our return to the committee-room, we were informed that our application would not be opposed if we accepted a 50-mile restriction. As will be readily agreed by all who have knowledge of our specialized type of transport, such a condition is absurd.
All our efforts to put forward reasonable arguments against such a restriction were met, not with any constructive discussion but with a flat repetition of the committee's findings.
At this point 1 might add that as the rail representatives greatly outnumbered those of the road an equal vote was improbable, a vote in our fawur impossible.
II must admit that the road representatives offered strong arguments in our favour, for which we are most grateful, but the odds were too great.
Therefore, with nothing gained and the time involved wasted, we are now prepared to continue the fight, but this time with the gloves off. •