IN THE MINEFIELDS

Hokitika Guardian, 31 January 1929, Page 6

IN THE MINEFIELDS

REVELATION'S TO PRINCE. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Jan. 29. The Prince of Wales began to-day his unofficial tour of the Northern coalfields. Arriving by train at Newcastle, he breakfasted at a hotel, and then proceeded by motor ear to visit a distressed mining area. Tin* weather was of the worst wintry type. It was bitterly cold, and snow, which later turned to icy rain, fell lelentlcssly. The Prince used the ear only to take him from village to village. When he reached each village, he got out of the car and tramped on foot through slusn and snow three inches deep, up hill and down dale, calling at the cottages of the miners, where he w is not expected, for the details of Ills visit had been kept a close secret. The miners and the members of their families opened their hearts to the Prince, who heard moving accounts of how the men had been out of employment l.<• r two. three or four years. He saw for himself the conditions of want m which families lived. His presence and his sympathy brought cheer to •■a-l: humble dwelling that he entered. He stopped in the streets to question the miners and their womenfolk about their circumstances. At one village, called Chopwell. tin* Prince visited the Employment Exchange, outside winch many unemployed miners were gathered. Despite their unhappy position H,oy cheered him heartily. At the tillage of High Spell girls lined up on either side of the street. One of them put out her hand, and said excitedly: “Good luck to you. Prince!” The Prince laughed, and. in passing gave her hand a hearty shake with the iesult that all the other girls wanted to shake hands with him too. As he madc liis way to his ear. the Prin e was laughing and shaking hands with everybody who desired the honour. PRINCE SADDENED. AT DEATHS FROM STARVATION. LONDON, Jan. 30. There was a most touching incident at Wiuhiton where the Prince of Wales went straightaway to the cot tage of prank McKay, an old man a> 74, who was to have escorted him through the village. Someone said 1 “There lias just been a death at that, house!” Thu Prince glanced at the drawn blinds, but hesitated only a moment, and then entered. McKay was out arranging for the funeral ol his wife, who died last night. I lie Prince saw. and comforted tho weeping • daughters and then accompanied them upstairs, where the dead woman was lying. lie asked the cause o* death, and one of the (laughters answered calmly: “Starvation. ’ The face of the Prince was white, when lie leiL the tragic house .and he did not smile even when he was clmoied. Frank McKay gets the old age pension, tie lias one son who has been unemployed for four and it half years, and another who has been three years unemployed, while a third son has been on half time for 18 mouths.

At the next house belonging to i miner named Charles Cameron, n .hilt had just been horn, making tin eleventh. Tho father has been iineni ployed for three years and .has bcei receiving ten shillings weekly pin food for eighteen shillings.

At the village of Pc I ton Lane End the Prime found the inhabitants win are in the depth of poverty. 'lhere wai a dead hah t v in one room, the InUiei having no money for its funeral. The Prince was interested :.t ILgl Spoil in a girl named Catherine Hay who said that she was going Lo Australia to-morrow, and that she hope* to make good there and to he oi*hei| to her family.

A Ei.fE HUMAN TOUCH

LONDON. Jan. 29

“There i n line human touch in tin Prime’s visit to flic miners,” sail Rt. II on. . R. Clviirs, Labour M.P. speaking at West Hartlepool. Notuing had brought the Throne nearer tin troubles of the poor than this unprecedented act of perhaps the most popular figure in the world.