 Pickard considered that colliery disasters turned people into paupers through no fault of their own and that the society should be funded by both the colliers and the coal owners, provide orphanages and campaign for more stringent safety rules.Many miners were sceptical and thought that colliery owners would have the advantage and when incidents occurred accidents would be paid for by the miners themselves releasing them from the incentive to work the pits safely.The idea was received more sympathetically by the coal owners whose funds were inadequate to meet the demands of the time.