BLEAK BRITAIN

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 10474, 3 January 1928, Page 5

BLEAK BRITAIN

-STILL FROST AND SNOW BOUND RECORD FOR CENTURY.

food by AIR FOR ISOLATED

H DALES

(United Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Received January 1, 5.5 p.rri.) f • LONDON, Dec. 31. All England- is still snow and frost bound for the longest period this century. ■ A new development, which was not expected, is that food prices are rising. .Big increases occurred in.-Cov-ent.- Harden, where vegetables are very scarce, farmers, generally are unable to gather them and where they are gatherable, they cannot be got to market, except at extraordinary cost. For instance, Brussels sprouts, which were four-pence per pound before Xmas, are Is when obtainable. - - x Coal is also becoming dearer, merchants having difficulty in obtaining supplies, owing to the state of the road and the railways holding up waggons. The river Stour, in Kent-, is frozen and the waterways and flocks in Kiehhourgh turned into ice fields. A motor-car was dug out of a snowdrift in Lla'nfrechfa after great efforts. It proved to be a stolen ear for whieb the-police had searched lor two days. * Six aeroplanes are leaving London carrying provisions for various beleaguered villages in Surrey, Kent and Somerset. People in isolated bouses have been told bv wireless to mark out a circle on the snow with dark ‘••lotbos if food is needed, when it will be dropped by parachute.— X.Z. and A.P.A. and Sun. THAW SKI'S IX. VILLAGES SI ILL ISOLATED. ’ TXHABITANTS OX VERGE OF STARVATION. (Received January 2, 7.50 p.m.) LONDON. Jan. 1. A general thaw set in throughout England for the New Year, after the ■•ountry hyd been snowbound for a* week'. Experts arc unable to say when the deepest drifts will melt. It may not lie for weeks. -Many homes are in danger of destruction owing to the movement ol tons of snow.

Up to to-night numerous villages are still cut oft'. Ski-tug parties visit'd one or two hamlets in Kent and found the inhabitants on the verge

starvation. Tears came into tneir .-yes when they received the relief provisions. It is feared serious floods will result in some districts, as the rivers are dnngerouslv swollen.—A. and N.Z.C.A.