MINERS’ POVERTY

Hokitika Guardian, 1 February 1929, Page 6

MINERS’ POVERTY

PRINCE OF WALES’S COMMENT. (United Press Association. —Rv Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) LONDON, January 31. The Prince of Wales continues his tour of the mining areas. “ Wouldn’t you be happier in Australia,” the Prince asked a girl, named Sarah Wee, aged sixteen years. “Australia is a wonderful country. I have been there, and I know how good life can he. Don’t you think you would he happier there?” Sarah looked across the road at her poor little home, and shook her head sadly. “How is your dad?” asked Mrs Stewart, at Seaton Burn, where tWofliirds of the male population arc idle. “Getting on as well as can be expected, thank you,” replied the Prince. “Many of us have been praying lor him and the Queen,” said Mrs Stewart. A terrier called “ Shot ” gave the Prince a lively reception at a house nearby. “ Bless you, that is only his friendliness.” said -Mrs Cooke. She added: “He is a good dog, but f am a I raid he must go, because I have no money to pay for a license.” The Prince then spoke to the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, who handed over a ten shilling note, thus reprieving “ Shot.” Everywhere the Prince of Wales has inquired as to the earnings of the amounts of relief on which the families lire subsisting. llis most frequent remark was: “But this is simply incredible!” The Prince has even called at small shops, sometimes making a pretext of the purchase of cigarettes, in order to ask how the people are faring, and to express his: sympathy with the traders, lie lunched on cold beef and salad at a hotel in the mining town of Ashington. LONDON. January 31. The newspapers are reporting the Prince of Wales’s tour impartially and at great length. The “ .Morning Post.” which has been the most outspoken of tin- opponents of the miners’ political movement in the past, nevertheless features tin* Prince’s tour, which it describes as "an unbroken chain of poverty and distress in the stricken coalfields. Other papers display the news of the tour with double-column headlines, and ninnv photographs. The Prince’s tour will unquestionably speed up relief, and will certain!' hearten the siiflerers. Some of the Prince's comments yesterday were caustic. He was shown the pnv-slieets of a gang of men. and he observed: “ It seems as though they are worse off whe* working than n they are unemployed.” When told that, certain bouses belonged to the colliery people and "ere inhabited rent free, he said that “ that was the best that could be said about them.” Sitting in ricßcty chairs, the Prince of Wales questioned the housewives as to how they managed on twenty or thirty shillings per week. More than once lie left the miners’ cot'ages witn an angry look. 11l fact it is quite evident that the tour is most painful to the Prince, who several times lias had immediate rebel given in the nature of food and clotnmg.