A.R.O. Hits Out at Scandal-mongers
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ACTIO:N.1* might have to be taken if certain rumours regarding A.R.O. were repeated, said Mr. Roger W. Sewill, national director, addressing a meeting of the Chester sub-area, last week. Ile did not wish to attack anyone, but it was necessary to stop these malicious statements. He could say quite definitely that the A.R.O. was not " going broke."
Mr. Sewill proceeded to refer to the Association's ample reserves and income. It had been said that that body had squandered money on its headquarters staff, but the staff was only proportionate with the membership, compared with that of other bodies.
While outlining the programme that lay before the Association, Mr. Sewill paid tribute to The Commercial Motor for the efforts it had made to combat the persecution of the lorry driver. There should not be one law for the private motorist and another for the professional driver, neither was there reason for any difference in penalties. Numerous difficulties attaching to the wages position were also reviewed, it being pointed out that many local authmities were serious offenders, in that with the rates which -they offered it was impossible for contractors to observe the awards that had been made.
Mr. A. E. Handscombe, chairman of the Chester and district sub-area, said that there had recently been a • great deal of uncertainty in the district as
to which association operators ought to support and regarding the service given by A.R.O. to its members. Following recent discussions, the committee had decided that it was a truly live body and had no hesitation in recommending members to continue their support, pending the ideal of one body to represent the whole industry. "Further appreciation of The Commercial Zfotor came from Mr. R. B. Stockdale, chairman of the NorthWestern area, who expressed his pleasure at the stand taken on the matter of special courts for motor traffic cases. As a result of inadequate knowledge on the part of magistrates, disaster .had been created in the lives of honest workmen. He thought that the now-famous Chambers of Commerce memorandum had arisen through a misunderstanding.
It was suggested by a member that, instead of the pay-load plates that had been proposed, the question of overloading could be controlled effectively and without further regulation by the load limit, on which the insurance companies insisted, being stipulated on the insurance certificate. This was a ready-made means for dealing with the overloader. Mr. Sewill agreed to investigate the matter.
Amongst those present were Mr. J. Hargreaves, vice-chairman of the North-Western area, and Mr. J. Wyndham Gibbs, superintendent organizeifor the North-Western and East Lanes areas.