ROAD TRANSPORT

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 February 1937, Page 4

ROAD TRANSPORT

WEST COAST ASSOCIATION. The first steps towards the fixation of prices for road cartage on the W Coast were taken at a meeting of the West Coast Road Transport Association. held in McGlashan’s Garage, C’eymouth, last evening. A price schedule is to be drawn up at a later meetim,, to be submitted to business interests and subsequently to the Gov ® iu,lie ." in an effort to combat price-cuttim, in the transport industry. There veie about 30 road operators present, icpresenting goods and passenger services. Mr. H. McGlashau (President) presiding. The President said that it was the third meeting of the Association, while two executive meetings had also been held. The biggest difficulty up to this week's meeting of the Licensing Authority, had been the enrolment of members.’ Some misunderstanding had existed regarding the fees for member ship. The fee for joining the local Association was £l, while the fee for joining the New Zealand Road Transport Alliance, with which the local Association was affiliated, was on a sliding scale, according to the number ef vehicles operated, £2 10/- for the first vehicle and rising to £7 fol’ five vehicle's. They understood that the Government was likely in the near future to bring down legislation concerning price fixation, and the meeting that evening was to discuss that phase of the transport industry. Another matter to come before them that evening was the appointment of an organising secretary. Mr. J. Eadie had carried on efficiently since the formation of the Association, and he (the President) understood his goods services were under offer to the N.Z. Railways. If they took them over he would then have more time to devote to the affairs of <the Association. The Association would have a revenue of about £l5O per annum, and he had much pleasure in moving that Mr. Eadie be appointed organising secretary at a salary of £5O per annum, and expenses. The motion was seconded by Mr. A. 13. Spiers and carried. In reply to a question, the Secretary said that an executive consisting of Messrs 11. McGlashan, T. N. Mouat, W. Kennedy and himself had been appointed to carry on. Mr. F. Manson’s motion that the size of the executive be increased, was carried, and the following members were appointed, in addition to the original members: Messrs M. Fahey, F, Manson, A. B. Spiers, E. W. Angelsey, G. S. Pratt, T. J. Dunn, and R. Wells. t PRICE FIXATION.

The President said that at this week’s meeting of the Licensing Authority a clear indication was given that the Authority wanted this district to fix prices for the cartage of commodities. He understood the procedure 1 was that every operator agreed on prices over district sections of the area they operated in, according to the nature of the country and the length of the hauls. After that, a general meeting would be called, to which would be invited representatives of County and Borough Councils, Chamber of Commerce, farming, milling and mining interests, for a general discussion of prices. When the rates were agreed up<sn the next step would then be to apply to the Transport Commissioner to have those prices embodied in the licenses. Provided that he thought they were fair, and that was done, they would then become part of the licenses, and a man would then know what he could charge, with the knowledge that no other man' could cart for less. That was the idea of price-fixation—they would all know where they were, and there would be no bargaining, or getting a man down to a level on which it was uneconomical for him to work. They did not want any cut-throat prices—they wanted a decent living, taking’into consideration the 40-hour week and the award rates of pay. 'The Government insisted that owner-drivers must pay themselves the same as if they were employing labour and operators, and they had to put in a statement at the end of the year which would show what they were paying themselves. If it was not equivalent to award wages, then the license would probably be reviewed adversely. Mr. A. B. Spiers said that there were one or two flies in the ointment as far as price fixation was concerned. What was the position when, as happened recently in South Westland, in connection with the Railways .Department’s services, a man would not accept the price, and said that he would cart the goods himself? The President said that in regard to the ancilliary user, or the man who carried his own goods, there was a clause in the Act which had not yet been invoked, which would enable the Government to declare that man an operator, and he would be required to obtain a license for his vehicle. As soon as he had done that, he would have to pay his men the same wages and work them the same number of hours as licensed operators. If the Government saw that the establishment of the service was vindictive, they would not grant him a license. He would have to show that his service was necessary and desirable, and if the licensed operators got together and showed that there was sufficient vehicles available and able to do the work, then the license would not he granted.

Mr. A. B. Spiers said that the Government had given the sawmillers .1/a hundred extra for their timber, to cover the higher wages, hut they had not made provision for extra cost of cartage, and the sawmillers could not carry it.

The President: 'rhe present Government has not studied the eni ployer, as to how he is going to gel the money to pay the extra, wages t< his employees. They have had to (inc that out for themselves, but. as cm plovers we have a sort of whip hand we can pass it on. and (In- sawmiller, can do the same. It was a. mattei for the sawmillcrs to pul up in tlx Government, if they had a legitimate ease.

Air. E. \V. Angelsey: Is it not a fact that timber has risen '<’>/- or 4/a hundred to cover the extra costs? According to the Greymouth sawmill crs’ price list all classes of timber have risen 3/- to .’I 'G a hundred. After further round-stable discuscussion on prices, the President moved that a further meeting be called, on !1 dale Io be fixed, to draw up a schedule of prices. In the meantime, he said, operators should go into their operating costs, so that they could have reliable figures to place before the meeting. They could then agree

upon a fixed price, and decide to call a final meeting with other interested parties, prior to submitting the prices to the Government. He stressed the necessity of transport operators adopting a proper system of book-keeping, in order to ascertain exactly what it cost them to run per ton mile as a basis of price fixation. Mr. F. Manson introduced Mr. R. P. Chibnail, the .newly-appointed Highways Inspector. Mr. Chibnail said that there were one or two small matters he wished to bring before operators, the necessity to display on their vehicles their heavy traffic classification plates, their quarterly heavy traffic license, and to carry in the vehicle their goods vehicle authority. Operators would also be given a certificate of fitness for the vehicle, which would also have to be carried, lie also answered a number of questions concerning the operation of vehicles and the interpretation of the regulations, on , which there was a lengthy round-table discussion.

In moving a vote of thanks be accorded Mr. Chibnail for attending the meeting, Mr. J. Eadie said that he would point out to members that, if the Association was going to function properly, they must all observe the regulations. He (Mr. Eadie) would be going round the country, and if there were any breaches, he intended to report them. They had to have order in the transport business.