Co-partnership for Road Transport.
Page 5
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
One of the important subjects to be considered at the meeting of the Natiorral Council of the Commercial Motor Users Association to-morrow (Wednesday) is that of co-partnership, this matter being raised by the chairman, Mr. E. S. Shrapnell-Smith, C.B.E., who has recently produced a pamphlet which is being circulated, in which the author expresses his eonvietion that co-partnership is the one reliable means of rendering the majority of workers much more satisfied -with their lot than is to-day the case, and he thinks that a lead should be given in the Matter to the road transport in. dustry, his. pamphlet tieing aimed at enabling all those who ass concerned with the welfare of that industry to study the subject.
Be says that the average worker on road transport fully appreciates the absolute necessity for capital, and that it is self-evident to him that to wipe out capital (which are our material resources) and to go back toadoing things with arms, hands, fingers and nails would be a terrible change and setback.
Paalizing this need for capital, the doubts and differences of workers concern its distribution, ownership, service tinterest), renewal (depreciation), and profits (surplus), and, in the author's opinion; absence of personal holdings by the workers in the capital of any business explains the prevalent lack on their part of care for the property which they handle, whilst the vesting d capital only in -the employers or outside shareholders is proving destructive of the sense of individual responsibility on the part of the wage earners; they do not feel, and, in fact, do not possess the pride of part ownership in the Units or links in the chain of operations with which they make contact, and this state of affairs is bad for everybody. Most workers labour of necessity to earn money to live, but .without a sense of "esprit de firth," and the leavening that is required mustbe np-ward instead of deadening downwards by destructive fallacies.
Greatest satisfaction among workers and a greater degree of harmony between employer and employees would take place if there were participation in the surplus produced as a result of work done.
The author spin-nits that laus.iness rtien must choose, and clicioA soon, between: (I) a radical change in accepted prewar tenets for the economic control of industry, and (2) commercial chaos which will carry with it and after it -decades of misery, whilst Labour as yet ball in
formed, and but a quarter perceptive, spends itself in beginning again at the bottom. Is it not better he aSItn, to nieet Labour half-way, to make it a partner as compared with a servant of the past. and a contingent 30-year failure of the firture. He puts the words bluntly because Sees no alternative.
Mr. Shrapnell-Smith then goes on to cite the schemes of various leading industrial concerns in this country, notably those of the South Metroinilitan and other gas companies ; Lever Bros. Ltd. ; Taylors, of Batley; Tootal Broadhurst, Lee and Co. Ltd.; Bryant and May, Ltd. ; Clarke, Nicholls and Coombs, Ltd. ; and John Bnight, Ltd. He deals with the schemes in brief detail and shows their good and, when necessary; bad points, and concludea an extremely interesting pamphlet with a tabular and comparative summary of the elements, which presage success for co-partnership' in contrast with the pitfalls and delusions of nationalization for ordinary industrial enterprises.
Trailers on Buses.
The Highways Cemmittee of the Durham County. Council reports that it has had before it a letter from the Middlesbrough Tramways manager to the Minister of Transport., asking for permission to attach single-deck trailers to oninibusesduring busy hours when running along the Tees Conservancy Road be tween Middlesbrough and West Hartlepo-ol, and recommends the County Coun cil to inform the Ministry of Transport that it will be very dangerous and nn desirable to allow the use of such trailers._
At the recently-held Scottish Show.it is interesting to record that of the 366 solid tyres fitted to commercial vehicles on show, 192 of them were of Dunlop manufacture the balance being con-, tributed by 16 other makes.
There are 28,000 licensed dealers in petrol in this country,
Mr. Wallace for Ford Service.
Before he left for the 'States by the " Adriatic" last Thursday, Mr. S. A. Wallace, the late 'thief engineer of the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd. (the man who introduced the moving platform for chassis erection -into this country), was the recipient of a presentation, made by his former .colleagues at Wa/thamstow, and the guest of honour: at a dinner at the Savoy 'Hotel, given by a number of his American friends in London. Mr. Wallace is mainly going. over to the, States -with one or two commissions for the London General Omnibus Co., and in order,to see the Ford organization, and to make a personal study of Ford service. Be will only be away five or six weeks, and on his return will throw all his energies into the work of International Motors, Ltd., where he is a,ssoelated with Mr. C. S. Lamb in the conductof the Ford service depot for London, which has been transferred from the Ford Motor Co. in the rearrangement
• of its British business methods. This depot at Brook Green, 'Hammersmith, is already one of the finest of such organiza tions in this country, and under the skil fill management of Mr. Wallace and Mr. Lumb may be expected to show material progress. Mr. Wallace dsies not intend to cease his activities at the Slough repair depot of the Ministry of IYInnitions.
A Bus Levy Appeal.
The National Steam Car Co., Ltd., is appealing to the Ministry of Transport against the decision of the Northamptonshire County Council to levy a charge of 3d. per mile per bus on the route from Bedford to Northampton.
The Belgian Ministry of Colonies are organizing a trial for agricultural tractors, which will take place near Brussels. Prizes will be given to the amounts of 15,000, 10,000, 55000 and 3,000 francs. Entries, which must be sent in before March 15th, should be addressed to the Agricultural Section, Belgian Ministry of Colonies, Brussels.
Messrs. George E. Duerden, of Burnley, have secured an order for ten Maudslay tip wagons from the Gateshead-on-Tyne Corporation.