Henderson daily dispatch., 1939-11-01
Gas Haulers
Aroused By
Fatal Wrecks
Daily Dispatch Bureau.
In tho Sir walter f5Ctel.

Raleigh, Nov 1.-Transporters Oh
petroleum products in tank trucks
have at last walked up to the Serious
ness Of the problem they face as
the result of a serious Of spectacular
accidents which have brought fam
ing death and destruction in their
wake.
Five such fatal accidents within
a short span of weeks, the last of
which left two charred bodies on
roadside near Asheboro and nearly
burned to death a preacher and ms
family sleeping in a nearby dwell
ing, brought this abrupt awakening
and there is little doubt that some
thing is going to be done and done
Immediately.
Yesterday leaders of the trucking
industry, representatives OF the OIL
interests and the State Highway
Safety Division conferred with Com
missioner of Revenue A. J. Maxwell
for three hours Of plain speaking OF
minds. AS a result, another confer
ence has been set for Friday at which
it is expected that definite, concrete
ideas will be advanced.
Yesterdays meeting was fully CO.
operative, although spirited, and
marked by mincing of no words. The
gasoline haulers were plainly warn
ed that there is serious danger OF
their being barred completely from
North Cardinals highways unless
something is done to mOllify a pub
lie opinion which is now almost I'M
animOus in demanding action Of one
sort or another.
The truckers contend, of course,
that in proportion to the number of
gasoline tanks on the roads and the
mileage they travel there are not an
excessive number Of accidents, out
they were informed that this does
not change the fact that these ACCT
dents are so spectacular and cause
SO much damage to innocent parties
that "a real crisis has been reached.
There were suggestions that the
speed limit of all gasoline carriers
be limited to as low as 80 miles an
ur-COmlnissioner Maxwell APP
peared to be on the verge Of issuing
an order just that drastic-but in
the end it was agreed that a pro-
gram Of ''self-regulation" should be
given chance, although the COM
missioner emphatically pointed out
that it is the duty Of the State to see
that there is real enforcement, and
promised that the department will
not be lax in doing its duty.
Ronald Hocutt,, safety director,
pointed out that the organized truck
interests have been cooperative in
all safety programs and expressed
the opinion that something really
progressive can be accomplished
through joint action Of the safety
division and the transporters.
The point was stressed by the
truckers that much Of the trouble
is caused by gasoline transporters
who own only tanker or two and
who do not select their drivers as
carefully nor adopt as rigid safety
standards as do the larger concerns.
There is little doubt that the at
mosphere was cleared preliminary
to the study and adoption of rules
and regulations, drastic and far
reaching in nature, and as ironclad
as possible
Even then, it is admitted, there are
bound TO be accidents to gasoline car
rying vehicles, just as there are &C
cidents to ali forms Of transportation
on roads, or rails, in the air or on
the sea.
Scheduled to meet for Fridays
conference with Maxwell and Hocutt
are c. S. Schaub, Of Apex, president
Of the N. c. Truck Owners Associa-
ton; Nathan Strause, Henderson: T.
r. Reid, Greensboro; J. Y. Ray, Roa-
noke Rapids; and j. II. Vickers, Char
lotte