Others could understand him an they would, but deliberately chose not to--partly from a conservative objection to any change whatever, and partly from an idea that he had been imported for the purpose of driving them, and driving is the last thing a Sark man will submit to.
Old Tom Hamon, and a few others who had a financial interest in the mines, assisted him all they could, in hopes of thereby assisting themselves, but they were few.
As for the Cornishmen and Welshmen, the success or failure of the Sark Mines mattered little to them.

There was always mining going on somewhere and competent men were always in demand.

They were paid so much a week, small output or large, and without a doubt the small output entailed less labour than the large.

They naturally regarded with no great favour the man whose present aim in life it was to ensure the largest output possible.
And so Gard found himself confronted by many difficulties, and, moreover, and greatly to the troubling of his mind, found himself looked upon as a dictator and an interloper by the men whom he had hoped to benefit.
Concerning the mines themselves he was not called upon for an opinion.
The managers had satisfied themselves as to the presence of silver.

If his opinion had been asked it would have confirmed them.