Carriers Seek United Front

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 87, 13 April 1938, Page 9

Carriers Seek United Front

DIFFICULTIES OF TRANSPORT

WORK

Consideration was given to the question of some sort of amalgamation with other transport organisations, at the annual conference yesterday of the New Zealand Master Carriers’ and

Customhouse Agents’ Association, on receipt of a remit recommending such a step, from the Dunedin Association. Sponsoring the remit, Mr. F. Goodwin (Dunedin) said the federation had not progressed as far as it might have done on its own. There.was no blame attachable to the Wellington executive for that. The time had arrived when all the transport organisations should be welded together so that they could speak with one voice to the Government. There was no intention that the Master Carriers’ Federation should lose its identity. He know they had not seen eye to eye on some matters with the Road Transport Alliance but conditions were changing and amicable settlements could not be arrived at unless the different organisations got together.

31 r. W. I. J. Blyth (Wellington', thought more information should be se

cured on the effect of such a move. ±uo Master Carriers might be very much in the minority. 31r. J. Young (Christchurch) said his association was against amalgamation with the Road Transport Alliance because of the small part the master carriers would play. 31r. Barton Ginger (Wellington) said the Wellington Association would not agree to amalgamation so as to lose identity but no harm would be done Uy collaboration on matters of general interest. 31r. A. J. Curtis (Wellington) said the federation had already drawn up alongside the Alliance in transport matters. He was against any amalgamation that would sink the identity of llie federation. Mr. L. Pearson (Masterton) said there was a time when the Alliance was a thorn in the side of the town carriers but since then the Government had stepped in and taken over the activities of some of the long distance road haulers. The speaker said the majority of

country carriers were swinging over to the Alliance because they were finding the federation almost useless to them. He was very much in favour of trying to work together in some way. Town and country carriers were now pract; cally apart. Mr. C. G. Langridge (Palmerston North) said Palmerston North carriers thought the time ripe for a conference of the various interests to discuss the matter of linking up. He moved that a conference be called to try and arrive at a common agreement. 31 r. E. W. Hargreaves (Wellington) could not see why they should link up with an organisation that might bo wiped off the map at any moment by Government action. He advised wait-

iug to see liow the next general election went. Mr. E. G. Matthews (Palmerston North) could see no cause for the different classes of carriers being at loggerheads. Mr. A. J. Curtis (Wellington) spoke of the need of unity which was lacking even in the ranks of the. federation itself. How could they talk of going further and linking up with other orga nisations until they secured that internal unity? He fancied the better idea at the moment would be to wait until they knew what was happening politically. The president (Mr. J. 11. Kirkwood), of Dunedin, did not want to see the federation losing its identity. The federation had done good work on its own but more could be accomplished by collaboration with the other organisations. Mr. Langridge’s motion was not seconded but on the motion of Mr. Goodwin, it was decided to appoint four delegates to discuss with the New Zealand Commercial Motor Transport Federation the question of forming a combined federation or similar organisation and report back. The president said that if an understanding was reached, there would be live organisations linked together.