21 APRIL 1933, Page 13

A personal experience may indicate the difference between

town and country mentality. I was in a northern town recently making some enquiries into unemployment, and talked with some of the unemployed men about the ideals of the Prince of Wales's appeals. One answered "we regard that sort of thing as charity." The word itself was taken as suffi- cient condemnation. How in the world has it come about that a word and quality of such humane associations has become such a by-word; that those who would do a kindness to a neighbour, just for the sake of neighbourly feeling, may not, dare not and do not, because it might be regarded as charity. Against such a partial and unkindly view the village, where kindness is not.regarded as a sin, is our chief defence.