In Slush and Snow

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 575, 30 January 1929, Page 11

In Slush and Snow

PRINCE SEES MINERS POVERTY On Foot Through Stricken Villages British Official Wireless. Reccl. 11.55 a.m. RUGBY. Tuesday. THE PRINCE OF WALES to-day began his unofficial tour of the northern coalfields. Arriving by train at Newcastle he breakfasted at a hotel and then proceeded by motorcar to visit the distressed mining area. The weather was of the worst wintry type. It was bitterly cold and snow, which later turned to icy rain, fell relentlessly.

The Prince used the car only to take him from village to village. When he reached each village he got out of the car and tramped on foot through slush and snow three inches deep, up hill and down dale, calling at the cottages of miners where he was not expected, for details of his visit had been kept a close secret.

The miners and members of their families opened their hearts to the Prince, who heard moving accounts of how men had been out of employment for two, three and even four years.

He saw' for himself the conditions of want in which these families lived. His presence and his sympathy brought cheer to each humble dwelling that he entered. He stopped in the streets to question miners and their womenfolk about their circumstances.

At a village called Chopwell the Prince visited the employment exchange, outside of which many unemployed miners were gathered. Despite their unhappy position they cheered him heartily. At the village of High Spen 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 his hand for a hearty shake, with the result that all the other girls wanted to shake hands with him, too. As he made his way_ to his car the Prince was laughing and shaking hands with everybody who desired the honour. LORD MAYOR’S FUND In the House of Commons to-day Lord Eustace Percy, president of the Board of Education, said payments had been made from the Lord Mayor of London’s miners’ fund up to January 25 of £197,127. The miners of South Wales had received ' £94,250 and those of Durham and Northumberland £78,100. The fund totalled £570,000. Lord Percy said the Treasury had not yet paid anything into the fund out of the Government pound for pound subsidy. This would be paid as it was required. Mr. J. Batey, Labour member for Durham: Is it not disgraceful that only £197,127 has been paid out from a fund which totals more than £ 1,000,0.03, including the subsidy, when the miners and their families are starving? Lord Percy: The disbursement of the funds is dependent on the district committees and organisations. “The Times” says that although there are welcome signs of improvement in the coal trade nothing has occurred, or is likely to occur, to falsify the estimate that at least 200,000 miners never again will find employment in their industry. Therefore, it is fortunate that the

Prince of Wales, who already has done much to make the relief fund a success, should again be concentrating public attention on the situation by his visit to Northumberland and Durham. In reference to Lord Eustace Percy’s statement in the House of Commons the paper says the fact that the organisation of the fund is framed on the right lines is an additional reason why it should increase its activities without delay.