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QUARRY MANAGEMENTS' ATTITUDE
Page 59
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IHAVE discussed tipper rates with a number of West Country quarry managers recently and some of them are quite incensed by what they describe as a "ganging up by tipper groups". Some managers say bluntly that in no other area of the country does the LA take such a probing interest in the whole question of tipper rates.
They question whether he has power to do this, and one man I spoke to said he intended to find out, by a question in Parliament if necessary.
Another view expressed was that LAs should mind their own business so far as rates questions were concerned. "The Ministry vehicle examiners look after the road safety aspect", I was told. -What business is it of an LA if some hauliers go
bankrupt?" And the favourable return on capital invested enjoyed by hauliers as opposed to quarry owners is frequently stressed.
Stories of the rapid progress of singlevehicle hauliers who in 10 years or less operate 10 or more vehicles are by no means rare. And one is told, with embarrassing frequency, that hauliers objecting to Contract A licence applications by newcomers often have one or more vehicles on contracts with the same quarries. I have reason to think that certain hauliers will oppose the issue of a contract licence in court in the morning and beg to be allowed to put on additional vehicles on the work of allegedly ill-paying quarries in the afternoon!