Customers aud Hauliers Told to Setth j Differences " i DO
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not intend that the Nalional 1 Union of Mineworkers shall dictate to me," the West Midland Licensing Authority, Mr. J. Else, declared at Birmingham last Friday when he granted applications by P. McCool and A. R. Pearce to each operate a vehicle to carry miners' allowance coal locally Ifrom Keresley Colliery, Coventry.
Evidence was given in both applications of difficulties of coping with the carriage of the coal after vehicles operated by a third haulier had been " taken " off the road. 1
In the application by McCooll, of Stretton-on-Dunsmore, supporting l evidence was given by officials cff the National Union of Mineworkers I' that' because of many complaints of short weight, McCool had agreed to sign a contract specifying that the coal, 4vhich was drawn in bulk from the co liery, would be bagged and separately we.ghed in the bags, before the vehicle 14 the colliery. It had been decided at a Meeting that McCool should do the Svork. Because of complaints of coal .being delivered "short weight" the maiority wanted no one else to carry the coal.
11 Mr. Else: "You are not seeki g to prevent anyone else carrying this, i they are asked by individual colliers?" Mr. V. Francis, secretary of the local branch of the union, replied that that was indeed the reason behind the contract. "If we get sufficient vehicles licensed," he continued. "then, in conjunction with the management, we would like to stop others carrying it." Asked how this could be done, Mr. Francis replied, "The N.C.B. will do that."
Giving his decision, in which he granted both applications, Mr. Else referred to past applications for the carriage of miners' allowance coal and said that it would be in the interests of both miners and hauliers if they could get some stability or some sensible working arrangements between them.
"No sensible arrangement will ever be engendered where one party is being threatened by the other, and one party is saying 'We won't do the work unless so-and-so,' and the other is saying We won't give you the work '," he continued.
Such a situation would end in stalemate, Mr. Else added. He told a crowded court: "Go away and get some common sense into the problem. Miners are essentially person; of common sense. Let's hope we shall see no more of you for a long time to come."