An Independent Inquiry into the 1933 Act ?
Page 28
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STRONG corroboration of our leading article of last week, in which we called for an impartial inquiry into the effects of the Road and Rail Traffic Act of 1933 and suggested that the matter merited the attention of a Royal Commission with the object of amending the Act, was afforded hy Mr. R. W. Sewill, director and secretary of Associated Road Operators, at a meeting of the Hammersmith Chamber of Trade held last Monday.
His remarks are referred to in greater detail elsewhere in this issue. Mr. Sewill said that personally he would prefer an independent tribunal like that recently set up to study the wages problem and the one appointed during the past few days to inquire into the strike of bus drivers in the Metropolitan Area. At the same time, he would not oppose the appointing of a Royal Commission, as in either case the whole position would be reviewed impartially, and what was, perhaps, even more important, in public.
He, like many other important members of the road-transport industry, is strongly opposed to the giving of evidence and the conducting of deliberations behind closed doors, which is -the policy of the Government in connection with the investigations of the Transport Advisory Council.
We fully endorse his views as to the dangers of secrecy in matters which may so vitally affect the future of our industry, the members of which are thus kept in a state of nervous tension by the fear of some unpleasant surprise in the way of legislation being foisted upon them, whilst the dire results of the cogitations of the Salter Committee have made them strongly adverse to trusting their future to representation which may not be altogether impartial, or may be overwhelmed by closely knitted interests with wits sharpened by many a previous battle.