SQUALOR OF HOUSING

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 27, 1 February 1929, Page 7

SQUALOR OF HOUSING

"SURELY, THIS IS BEDROCK"

PAINFULIMPBESSIONS

| Australian Press Association. (Received Ist February, Noon.)

LONDON;' 31st January. "Surely, this is the bedrock," said the Prince of Wales, viewing hovels at Brandon where the unemployed were surrounded with bare-footed children Nothing appeals to the Prince more deeply nor has impressed him more painfully than the squalor of the miners' housing. A touching incident occurred among a, crowd of workless at Jarrow when a sightless old . woman pleaded, "Just let me touch him." The Prince overheard her and asked the crowd to make a gangway so that he could shake hands with her.

The Prince inspected a party of Durham boys going to Australia. He said: "I am delighted that you are going out to New South Wales. I wish you the best of luck." The newspapers are reporting the Prince of Wales's tour impartially and ;|t great length. The "Morning .Post," the most outspoken critic of the miners' ' political movement in the past, nevertheless features the tour, which it' describes, as "an unbroken chain, of poverty and distress in the stricken coalfields." '. "'."." '. Other papers display it with doublecolumn headlines and many photographs. The tour will unquestionably speed up relief and will certainly hearten the sufferers. . . ' . HIS CAUSTIC COMMENTS. Somo of the Prince's comments yesterday were caustic. He was shown the pay-sheets of a gang of men and obsen/jd that it seemed as though they were worse off when, working than if unemployed. When told that certain houses belonged to colliery people and were inhabited rent free, he said that it was the best that could be said about them. Sitting in ricketty chairs,' the Prince of Wales questioned wives how they managed on twenty or thirty shillings a week. More than once ho left cottages with an .angry look. In fact, it is quite evident that the tour is most painful to the Prince, who several times had immediate relief given ia the nature of food and clothing. "Wouldn't you be happier in Australia?", the Prince of Wales asked Sarah Wee, a girl aged 16 years, f Australia is a wonderful country^ I have been there and know how good life can be. Don't you think you would bu happier there?" Sarah looked across the road at the poor little home and. shook her head sadly. "HOW IS YOUR DAD?" "How is your Dad?" asked Mrg. Stewart at Seaton Burn, whero twothirds of the malo population are idle. "Getting on as well as can be expected, thank you," replied the Prince. "Many of us have been praying for him and. the Queen," said Mrs. Stewart. A terrier called Shot gave the Prince a lively reception at a house near by. "Bless you, that is only his friendliness," said Mrs. Cooke. "Ho is a good dog, but I am afraid he must go, because I have no money to pay for a license." The Princo spoke to the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, who handed over a ten shilling note, thus reprieving Shot. • . .

Everywhere the Prince of Wales inquired of the earnings or tho amount of relief on which the families were subsisting. His most frequent remark was: "But this is simply incredible."Tho Prince even called at email shops, sometimes making a pretext to purchase cigarettes, and ask how the people were faring and to express sympathy with, the traders. He lunched on cold beef and salad at a hotel in the mining, town of Ashington.