“SIMPLY INCREDIBLE”

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16866, 1 February 1929, Page 7

“SIMPLY INCREDIBLE”

DISTRESS IN COALFIELDS PRINCE OF WALES’ TOUR (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Australian and N.Z. Press Association.) LONDON. Jan. 50. “Wouldn’t yon bo happier in Australia’” the Prince of Wales naked Sarah Wee, 10. “Australia is a wonderful country; 1 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 the poor little homo 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, his friendliness,” said Mrs. Cooke, “he is a good dog, but 1 am afraid he must go. L have no money to pay for the license.” The Prince spoke to the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, who handed over a 10s note, thus reprieving “Shot,” . ; Everywhere the Prince of Wales inquired of . the earnings and’ t)pj amounts of relief on which the families were subsisting, ilis most frequent remark was; “But this is simply incredible. ” CHAIN OF POVERTY The Prince even called at tho small shops, sometimes making the pretext of the purchase of cigarettes to ask how the people were faring and to express sympathy with the traders. He lunched on cold beef and salad at an hotel in the mining town of Ashington. The newspapers are reporting the Prince of Wales’ tour impartially and at great length. The Morning Post, the. most outspoken of opponents of the miners’ political movement in the past, nevertheless features the tour, which it describes ns “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 thev wore worse off when they were working than if they were unemployed. When told certain houses belonged to the colliery people, the inhabitants living rent free, he said that was the best that could be said about them. Sitting in ricketty chairs, the Prince of Wales questioned the wives how they managed on 20s or 30s a week. More than once he left the 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 in the nature of food aird clothing.