Re: Dr Beeching

["B.Rumary" <brian.rumary@virgin.net>]

> A common comment is that they'd have never got away with half the stuff
> these days, because people would actually query the accounting. In those
> days the enquiries tended to accept the numbers at face value without
> looking at them.
>
They accepted them because they had to by law! Under TUCC rules it was 
forbidden to cross-examine BR on its figures - they were automatically 
taken as gospel. Anyone who tried to put questions on the accuracy of the 
figures was told to sit down by the chairman, and thrown out if they 
didn't. Similarly in new road enquiries it was forbidden to question the 
MoT's figures justifying the need for the road improvements.

The inquiries were just a rubber stamp for government policy. At least one 
TUCC chairman boasted how quickly he could get the whole thing buttoned up 
and the line shut.

These sort of undemocratic practises began to change with the inquiry over 
the Winchester(?) by-pass scheme. As usual, the protesters where not 
allowed to challenge the figures. However they discovered that permission 
to go ahead with the scheme could not be given until all the formalities 
had been completed, so they made sure they weren't. At every meeting they 
started a riot, which resulted in the chairman closing the meeting and 
calling the police. Result - no meeting was ever legally finished and so 
no permission could be issued. This went on for ages, until the 
bureaucrats finally began to back down about changing some of the inquiry 
rules.

However the by-pass still got built!

Brian Rumary, England

http://freespace.virgin.net/brian.rumary/homepage.htm