Self-employed mine owner and his two sons, Lanarkshire

Feb. 29 William Fisher, with his two sons, George (L) and David (R) bringing a load of dirt and rock to the surface of their shaft. Private Enterprise In The Coal Industry: How A Miner Becomes An Owner In Spite Of Nationalisation: A former10-a-week miner in Scotland is demonstrating through determination, hard work and skill, that his dream can be realised and instead of being a National Coal Board employee, he can be his own master, and in fact employ a modest labour force in digging coal from his own mine. William Fisher, 53, is sinking a 100-feet shaft through rock and clay in his Isabella Mine at Hareleeshill, Larkhall, Lanarkshire. He has already set up an engine house, and got halfway to a seam of high quality coal. While working at Douglas Colliery, Fisher always dreamed of owning a small, 20-acre site for his own shaft, and by saving and keeping pigs, he raised enough to buy the rights and go through the formalities required under the Nationalisation Scheme that few people realise still permits small scale private mining. Working for him are his two sons, David 25, and George 26. Later Fisher reckons to employ 12 men below ground. Local contractors and other firms have promised to buy his output

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Becomes Bringing Colliery Contractors Demonstrating Determination Digging Dirt Dreamed Employ Employed Employee Enough Enterprise Fact Firms Formalities Halfway Instead Isabella Keeping Lanarkshire Load Miner Modest Nationalisation Output Owning Permits Pigs Promised Realise Realised Reckons Required Saving Scheme Seam Shaft Spite

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