29th September 2009, 06:47 PM
Whilst I think the idea of an emergency kitty is a good idea, I'm not sure that this is the best way to go about it. As far as I understand, the money for the reward comes from the purchase money stumped up by the accquiring museum. So, effectively, all that would happen would be an arbitrary sum of money (depending on what happens to be found) would get shuffled from one part of the heritage 'pot' to another.
I wonder whether a better approach might be a small and carefully targetted tax. Perhaps not on the sale of detectors, as that could stir up too much ill feeling at a time when relationships are gradually improving, but maybe on the sale of antiquities over and above a particular threshold value?
I wonder whether a better approach might be a small and carefully targetted tax. Perhaps not on the sale of detectors, as that could stir up too much ill feeling at a time when relationships are gradually improving, but maybe on the sale of antiquities over and above a particular threshold value?
"Hidden wisdom and buried treasure, what use is there in either?" (Ecclesiasticus ch20 v30)