"BUT THIS IS SIMPLY INCREDIBLE"

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 28, 1 February 1929, Page 5

"BUT THIS IS SIMPLY INCREDIBLE"

PRINCE MAKES SOME CAUSTIC REMARKS TOUR OF MIKING AREAS. IMMEDIATE RELIEF GIVEN IN CASES. LONDON, January 31. Some, of the Prince?si comments yesterday were caustic. Ho was shown the pay-sheets of a gang of men and obse'ryed it seemed as though they were worse off when working than if 1 unemployed.

More than once lie Mt cottages with an angry look. In fact, it is evident that the tour of the mining areas is most painful to the rrinc*, who several times had immediate relief given in the nature of food) and clothing. T

When told that certain houses helonged to the colliery and people inhabited them rent' free, he said it was the best [that could be paid about them. Sitting in rickety chairs the Prince questioned wives how they managed on £1 ar £1 10s a week.

"ISS'T IT GHASTLY."

Among the hovels at Benton the Prince shuddered and remarked: "Isn't it ghastly!" He arrived without warning at one shack, where he picked up a baby and talked with the mother, who said that a neighbour was worse off, as nine lived in a tiny house.

"It makes one's heart sick to see and hear of-Jthe conditions," said the Prince, who told an old man that the Lord Mayor's relief would

be distributed to-day, and said: "T hope it will make things better for you." The Prince inspected the books of four men at East. Hartford and' found that they had worked 16 shifts on shares for 38s. Seldom did the people realise that their visitor was the Prince until he told them so. Sometimes he waited until a complete list of necessities had been made out before moving on. A TERRIER REPRIEVED. 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 I am afraid he must go because I have no money to pay for a license." The Prince spoke to the Lord Mayor o £ Newcastle, who handed over' a ten shilling note, thus reprieving Shot. Everywhere the Prince of Wales inquired of the earnings or amounts of relief on which families were, subsisting and his most frequent remark was: "But this is simply incredible." Newspapers arc reporting the tour impartially and at great length. The Morning Post, one of the most outspoken opponents of the miners political movement in the past, nevertheless features the tour, which it describes as being of an "unbroken chain of poverty and distress in stricken coalnelds."-Australian Press Assn. - ' i' Ji

SQUALOR OF MINERS' HOMES.

"SURELY THIS IS BEDROCK."

(Received 12.15 p.m.) LONDON, January 31

"Surely this is bedrock," said the Prince of Wales when viewing Hovels where unemployed miners were surrounded by barefooted children. Noticing appealed more deeply and impressed the Prince than the squalor of the miners' houses. There was a touching incident when, amid a crowd of workless at Jarrow, a sightless old woman pleaded: "Just let me touch him." The Prince of Wales overheard the remark and asked the crowd to make a gangway so that he could shake hands with her. He inspected a party of Durham

boys who were going to Australia. He said: "I am delighted that you are going to New South Wales, and wish you the best of luck."—Australian Press Assn. PJUNCE DEEPLY TOUCHED. i (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, January 31. The Prince of Wales for the third day in succession visited the distressed areas in the northern coalfields. To the Mayor of Durham he expressed, with obvious emotion, his opinion on what he had seen during his tour. He said: "I have been deeply touched by the bravery, patience and hope of all these poor people. It! is very difficult to kn'ow sing problem. lam sure, however, what to do to solve this most pressings will be righted, but I am afraid it must take time. The people I have met during this four could not have been nicer to me, personally and it was wonderful."