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Page 58
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Big• 's not beautiful Aren't these big board men becoming extra brave? There was a time when you didn't hear a word from them; nowadays they're on the box and radio with almost the regularity of Sir Harrold in his heyday. But how long can it last, I wonder; not too long, I wager, if they are as frank as Freddie Wood, NBC chairman, was last week. Defending the nationalized bus concern's deficit and poor trading position Freddie admitted that big is not always best.
He followed one or two small independent operators—no, I dicing get their names, it was still only 7.20am—who explained how they provided a service and made a profit. They had pointed out that overheads and top heavy management was a drain on resources they didn't have to contend with.
Freddie said that this was all very well but business had to grow; it couldn't remain smell,. he said. It might be desirable to shop at the small corner shop, but that was no longer possible.
He agreed it might be a good thing to go back to small units, but added—without too much conviction, I thought—that'. it just wasn't possible.
It seems we've just got to grow big and poor. Yet one of the independent companies had been in business for 120 years, and was still small and still making money, said its boss. Maybe he's a late developer.