I Think you may have the wrong idea Coal Authority is designed to do Mike.
It is not to run the mines at a profit or indeed run the mines at all. It is
to oversee that they are run by those who licence them in a proper manor.
If the companies whop lease them fail to run at a profit and go out of
buisness that is not the fault of the coal authority. Neither can they
attract would be adventurers.
The coal authority have nothing to do with the legislation and litigation we
are compelled to run under these days.
Ironey is well and trully alive in the North Pennines as is sarcasm. My
comment is directed to the constant running down of a body who is at least
trying to do something possative within i'ts constraints.
Hapton Valley may not have been a super pit but it certainly managed to turn
out more of a profit than many bigger ones that the Govt poured money down,
and I think even yourself would see a differmce today on visiting collieries
like Selby and the like.
Self elevation never achived anything Mike but pulling together did. If the
industry had maintained this instead of all the fragmented parties looking to
their own interests we may still have one.
One point that may have escaped you, Whilst you are discussing topics from
hundreds of years ago and basicaly straining at nats (sometimes) living
history is dissapearing infront of your nose. As self professed experts and
academics don't you think you should be recording it rather than squabbling
because somebody may be setpping on someones toes.
Even Spock said the needs of the many outway the needs of the few. He wasn't
real but mining is for the present, lets do our best to record it.
Far more than just abandonment plans are available at the records office. Pay
it a visit, sit in nice surroundings whilst plans are brought to your table
then taken away again. Have your dinner in a nice canteen, get anything
coppied at minimal cost.
Does that sound like the research facilities of any club you know... No Not
even the Northern Mines.
Clive
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