What the Associations are Doing
Page 45
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TAXATION'S INFLUENCE ON PRODUCTION COSTS.
Chambers of Commerce should urge the establishment of a Government committee to collect evidence to show the extent to which transport charges enter into production costs. This suggestion was made by Major H. E. Crawfurd, president of the tk.R.O.. before St. Pancras Chamber of Comj mence, last week.
Without this knowledge, he declared, the true effect of road-transport taxae tion upon national commerce could not be estimated, nor the question of its justification intelligently argued. The formation of such a committee was recently advocated in Parliament, but the suggestion was rejected.
Major Crawfurd added that in the struggle to retain the right of choice of 'transport medium, the interests of all classes of licensee were identical, and were at one with those of the trading community as a whole. In this connection, all interests should work together for the common good. The choice by commercial undertakings as between road and rail transport was not rightly a subject for legislation.
C.M.U.A. Forms Portsmouth Branch.
Yet another branch of the London and Home Counties Division of the C.M.U.A. has been formed—this time at Portsmouth. Mr. J. L. Kinder, national organizer of the Association, at a meeting last week, at which the branch was formed, compared the strength of the men's unions with that of the employers' associations, to the detriment of the latter.
New A.R.O. Passenger Secretary.
Mr. R. G. Hunter, secretary of A.R.O. Northern Area passenger section, has been appointed secretary of the national passenger section at headquarters.
A.R.O. Successful Functions.
Successful functions have recently been held by A.R.O. in the West.
At a supper, last week, under the auspices of the Bath Sub-area, Major Eric Long was the chief speaker, and Mr. G. Smart, chairman of the area, presided. Major Long stressed the unsatisfactory representation of A and Blicensees on the Transport Advisory Council.
Some 120 people attended the third annual dinner of Gloucester Sub-area, last Friday, when Councillor Frank Strickland, chairman of the sub-area, presided. Others present included the Mayor of Gloucester; Mr. Smart; Mr. Arthur Guy, vice-president of the Motor Agents Association ; Mr. T. D. Packer, clerk to the Western Licensing Authority; and Mr. T. D. Corpe, legal adviser.
At the annual general meeting of Devizes Sub-area, on Monday, presided over by Mr. J. H. Billet, chairman, Mr. G. Hillier • was elected chairman; Mr. G. G. Plank, vice-chairman; and Mr. E. R. Sudweeks, honorary secretary. Dumfries Hauliers Agree on Rates.
A Dumfries meeting of A and Blicensees held under the auspices of Dumfries and Galloway Road Haulage Association ha_s approved a scale of agreed minimum charges. Wigtownshire hauliers are also to be asked to approve the Association's schedule.
M.P. as President of C.M.U.A. Area.
Mr. Victor Raikes, M.P., has accepted the invitation of the Grays and District .Area of the London and Home Counties Division of the C.M.U.A. to become president of the area for the forthcoming year.
Burnley Area Agrees Rates.
Minimum rates for day work have been approved by Burnley Area of the C.M.U.A., after a series of meetings. Particulars of the scale are being sent to every operator in the area and copies are available for circulation among customers.
Morecambe Haulage Prices Reduced. Morecambe and Heysham Hauliers Association has agreed to reduce its charges for hired haulage on behalf of Morecambe Corporation's highways committee. Instead of 12 10s. per 47 hours, the charge for 3-ton vehicles is to be 4s. 8d. per hour, whilst a cut from 7s. 6d. to 7s, per hour is to be made in respect of 5-tonners.
Chairman for Sixth Year. ,
For the sixth year in succession, Mr. J. F. E. Pye, of H. Pye and Son, Ltd., has been unanimously elected chairman of the A.R.O. Metropolitan Area. Lieut.-Comm. J. Havers, R.N. (Retd.), of John Mowlem and Co., Ltd., has been elected vice-chairman. The following have been appointed to the committee :— I'afesass. F. Bleneowe, W. G. Brigham, It Brown, J. Crossley, G. E. Godfrey, A. Hastie, L. Haybittel, H. Hotham, L. G Gekenden, I. B.
Roberta and A. F. Shaw.
C.M.U.A. Branch Formed at Ipswich.
Following a meeting of the C.M.U.A. London and Home Counties Division at Ipswich, on Monday, a decision was made to form an Ipswich and District Area of the Association.
Mr. F. J. Speight, vice-chairman of the division, outlined the difficulties that beset the passenger-vehicle operator, and he warned hauliers that unless they took immediate steps to improve their position, they would find themselves in similar unhappy circumstances.
Mr. F. F. Fowler, chairman, made a strong plea for unity, and urged operators not only to join the C.M.U.A., but to give active support to the work of the Parliamentary Road Group. • SUPPORT FOR " C.M." CALL FOR ROYAL COMMISSION.
Support was given to the suggestion made in the leading article in last week's issue of The Commercial Motor that a Royal Commission should be set up to inquire into the working of the 1933 Act, by Mr. R: W. Sewill, national director of A.R.O., when he spoke at a meeting of the Hammersmith Chamber of Trade, on Monday.'
It was evident, said Mr. Sewill, that trade and industry were becoming more and more alarmed at the state of affairs in the road-transport world. There was, he said, an increasing demand for reconsideration of the 1933 Act. The Government could not afford to ignore the strength of the feeling which was arising, and The Commercial Motor had done well to advocate the setting up of a Royal Commission.
Personally, said Mr. Sewill, he would prefer an independent tribunal, but, at the same time, he would not oppose The Commercial Motor's suggestion, In either event, the whole position would be reviewed impartially and in public.
Mr. Sewill referred in scathing terms to the Transport Advisory Council, in which, he said, the people most affected were unrepresented. Moreover, the council heard no evidence, and worked behind closed doors.
A resolution supporting the setting up of an independent tribunal to investigate the position was carried unanimously by the meeting.
A.R.O. to Figure in Luton Exhibition.
Luton Sub-area of A.R.O. will have a stand at the exhibition to be held at Luton from May 11-22. Local members intend to advertise their respective services in a specially prepared booklet. which will include articles setting out the advantages of road transport.
The Metropolitan Area of the Association is supporting the sub-area.
Road Reply to Rail Complaint.
The British railway companies' complaint that road transport is robbing them of their prosperity was sharply criticized in Nottingham, last week, by Mr. Dudley E. Elwes, head of the C.M.U.A. central licensing bureau. He was addressing members of the East Midland Division.
In 1936, the railway receipts, he said, were up on the previous year's figure by nearly £4,000,000—about £2,000,000 each on passenger and goods traffic-whilst, in the first quarter of this year, passenger receipts showed an increase of nearly £1,000,000 and goods receipts of £117,000, as compared with those of the corresponding quarter of last year. " And this in spite of the recent reductions in railway rates and in spite of the agreed rates which exist between the companiez and manufacturers."
Mr. Elwes emphasized, too, that the railway companies themselves had holdings in road transport amounting to £11,000,000 and drew 71per cent. from that business.