New Britain herald., 1926-03-26
ATWATER OPPOSES
 MOTOR TRUCK BILL
Speaks Before Joint Senate and
 House Committee
Special to Tho Herald.)

Washington, D. C., March o6 - j, F. Atwater, traffic manager of the American Hardware Corporation, New Britain, Conn, appeared today before the joint senate and house of representatives committee to testify in the interests of the motor vehicle committee of the Manufacturers as- sociation of Connecticut, Inc, of Hartford at the hearing on the bill 10 regulate interstate commerce by motor vehicles operating as common carriers on public highways.
 Mr. Atwater will present the manufacturers side of the question 10 a committee from New England standpoint and his testimony Is re- carded as some Of the most inn portant information 10 come up at the hearing. The committee has been in session in the national capi- tai since last Monday.
 Mir. Atwaters testimony before the committee was as follows:
 "As you take this bill under con alteration, we ask you to think Of transportation as transportation and not az railroad transportation.
 Every form Of transportation has i.s individual characteristics. Before any federal law Of regulation is en- acted. congress should appoint committee to make a thorough study and analysis Of the individual employment, needs and service or the motor truck and the particular reduirements 1t offers to the indus tries, farmers, merchants and those employing this mode of transporta- ton.
 shippers, generally have no oo- lection to regulation. In fact fegu- la.ion Of the proper kind is recos- nIzed by all business for successtui development, but 1t Is equally patent that regulation, i'll conceived VIII just as effectively strangie promising development.
 "Ona mistake we believe is that this bin does not provide for the separation of the bus from the truck The character of the work Of each IS so different VIC feel that they re- qutre separate legislation.
 "l, The bus has its regular ter- nlnals and Its passengers come 10 those terminals, while the truck per forms more Of taxi cab SerVlce.
 '"2. On account of the requlre- uents of the manufacturer, truchs cannot he assigned to regular routes or terminals. Such assignment VII! eliminate the iexibility. |
 "section 4-Ninety days allowed in which to file application TOT certificate.
 finder the wording Of the act The fact that truckman has been in ouoratton for years Is not prlma racia evidence of the existence or n,b,ic necessity for the trucks TO operate Under this act the board can deny certificate and put the r,otor carrier out Of service and de- stroy his business. There IS not 1us' tice In such a law.
 Section o.-Cnder this clause a railroad owned, controlled or op- e.ated trucking firm can obtain certificate for commercial trucking between shipper consignee' and common carrier station. and once obtained. 1t would practically be i'm nossible for any other operator to obtain a similar permit for the same district. regardless of the di- yersifed type of service and tho 1ccd for emergency service. This would eliminate all competition.
 "Section 6-Before issuing permit, l!,a bill says, the board must give reasonable consideration to avail able transportation service by rail- ,oad or other existing agencies, This would create a monopoly No law Snould be permitted that would tend 10 be monopolistic,
 All this agitation and from all re- Iorts, leads me to believe that the | promoters of such legislation are of thc opinion that these motor truck | firms now in operation purchased | 'hr trucks and then went out solicit | ing business. In the majority Of cases, this is not true. l have in 1 mlnd motor truckmen operating In Connecticut to whom the long dis | tancc service never entered their | mind until requests from manufac- ,grors camo to them to handle their | goods. Changed conditions brought l a5out in the last few years require 'l.s efficient and oyer night service. 1
 "It is not customary for manufac- turers Or shippers in general to hire lis and that truckman. but you ill find by studying the situation 1 nat each industry has its own in- d!%iduaI truckman, and you will generally find that tha truckman l only has few firms on his books 1 fer whom he is hauiing soods. The l truckman that might be called q | common carrier. you will find In the | minority.
 Giving consideration to available 1 transportation Is bound to eliminate | competition and would seriously af- l ;ect not only our industries, but | whosale Srocers. merchants, and | farmers, and you would be forcing shippers 10 discontinue hiring out | side trucking firms and 10 purchase | their own trucks. Those who favor | regulation Of the type Set up in the bill which ! am discussing, would find that upon passage their objec- tions were frustrated. Tn other words, the manufacturer or the large user of transportation would be compelled 10 purchase his own trucks, and in order 10 operate them economically, he would be compelled 10 load them to maximum capacity on delivery and return loads, SO that a great deal Of the tonnage which now moves via rail would be diverted 10 truck movement in order to make the purchased trucks profit able.