Prince in Mining Area

Evening Star, Issue 20089, 1 February 1929, Page 6

Prince in Mining Area

“Conditions Simply Incredible” Tour Featured By Press Crisis in Australian Timber Dispute Duke of Gloucester’s Engagement Reported

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright, LONDON, January 31. “Wouldn’t you bo happier in Australia,” the Prince of Wales asked Sarah Wee, aged sixteen. “ Australia is a, wonderful country. I have been there, and know how good life can be. Don’t you think you would be 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 twothirds of the male 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 nearby. “Bless" you, that is only hi& friendliness,” said Mrs Cooke. “He is a good dog, but I am afraid he must go because I have no money to pay for bis license.” The Prince spoke to the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, who handed over a Ids note, thus reprieving Shot. Everywhere the Prince of Wales inquired about _ the earnings or the amounts of relief on which families are subsisting. His most frequent remark was, “But this is simply incredible.” The Prince even called at small shops, sometimes making the pretext of purchasing cigarettes, and asked how the people were faring, and expressed sympathy with tho traders. He lunched on cold beef and salad at an hotel in the mining town of Ashington.—Australian Press Association. FEATURED BY PRESS. SPEEDING UP RELIEF. Press Aasochtion—By Telegraph—Copyright 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 opponent of the miners’ political movement in the past, features the tour, which it describes as “an unbroken chain of poverty and distress in the stricken coalfields.” Other papers display it with double column headlines and many photographs. The tour will unquestionably speed up relief, and will certainly hearten the sufferers. Some of the Prince’s comments yesterday were caustic. He was shown the paysheets of a gang of men, and observed that it seemed as though they were worse off when they were working than when they were unemployed. When he was told that certain houses belonged to colliery people and were inhabited rent free, he said that was the best that could be said about them. Sitting in rickety chairs, the Prince questioned wives how they managed on 20s or 30s a week. More than once lie left cottages with an angry look on his face. It is quite evident that the tour is most painful to the Prince, who several times had immediate relief given in the nature of food and clothing.—Australian Press Association.