, 1874-07-29
The "AVTS"
Is PUBLISHED
EVERY WEDNESDAY N SATURDAY.
THE PRESENT PHASE OF THE
FAMINE DISCUSSION.
tFrom the Spectator.)

at which, if the rains continue heavy, 1t Is
possible, but only possible, to toresee the end.
The Government is still maintaining, and must
maintain till November, 100000 persons
this is the Viceroy's calculation-who, but for
State assistance, must even now perish tor
want of food. Moreover, it must still! be ready
to feed even larger masses, for the Ryots pro-
per. the well-to. do peasants, are reaching, or IN
nlaces have reached, the end of their resources,
and are coming upon the hands OF the officials, who
begin themselves to yield to overWork, exposure,
and excessive responsibility. The Bengalee dis
tricts, too, are showing signs of scarcity, rising
at points such as West Burdwan and the
southern side of the Twenty-four Pergennahs,
TO actual famine, which show to experienced
eyes that by September the difficulty OF relief
will be extreme. The Government, however,
on the other side, is ready and willing, and
we'll supplied. Two months were unfortunately
lost, from causes which will yet have to be in
yestigated but those two were caught up by
an expenditure which Indian critics, who at
heart do not care whether natives perish or
not. now denounce as wantonly profuse. 1t
was simply unavoidable. After the delay
which had occurred, nothing but the most lavish
expenditure, yielding fortunes to all who
would help on a grand scale, could have con-
centrated the carrying resources of Bengal
upon the threatened points, or have enlisted the
people willingly in a business which at first
they so hated, that in repeated instances they
burned their carts to avoid impressment. For
~tunately, the Viceroy, once thoroughly aroused,
pushed the Treasury aside, authorised excessive
payments, as Lord Canning did duril g the
Mutiny time, and every class, tempted by the
hone Of sudden gain, enlisted in the relief The
planters, the native contractors, the muhaJuns,
even the cartmen individually came forward
heartily, and though Of course OVerplld, nearly
nm to the figures current n the Mutiny, they sup
piled the one grand want. The plan for which we
have all along commended was adopted IN every
detail. The central stores were hlled 10 time.
The minor stores were carefully arranged. The
relief bv villages was adopted, and at last even
Ghe proposal to use manual labour for carriage
was officially approved. A recent order by the
Lieutenant.G Governor directs that, if during the
rains other means fail, the males of any stricken
village NAV be impressed, and compelled to
march to the nearest store, returning with food
sufficient to meet the village need. Finally,
relief 10 money having become useless, and all
fear of interfering with private trade at an end,
the muhajuns, or native grain-dealers' were al
lowed TO buy at the Government stores and to
retail the grain at a profit not exceeding two
per cent. upon the Government price. As they
are usually paid by the month, this leaves them
q heavy profit per annum. they came forward
eagerly, ana the great store oL grams 10 DolnS U0-
pleted at he rate, in some places, OF a thousand
tons a week. What with this device, the multipli-
cation of centres, the vast collection OF transport
made so vast mainly by expenditure and
the matured experience of its officers, the Gov
eminent stands prepared to meet the famine
wherever it breaks out, without delay, or vacil-
lation, or risk of failure. The eutire service,
thoroughly convinced that about the Famine no
excuses will be received, is working splendidly,
and the Government has. in fact, improvIsed an
effective Poor-Law Establishment for the peo-
ole of Bengal, to keep working for at least ano-
ther FIVE months of danger. If at the end Of
that time the natural supply is insufficient as 1T
may be in Northern Tirhoot, the machinery
will be kept in motion if otherwise, it will be
quietly but decisively brought to a stand@stiIl.
There is no chance whatever of its being con
tinued for one day after the need has ended,
for in the first place, the stock of grain, If over
large-and it is far from over large, for it the
rains are not above the average it will not be
large enough-cau be dissipated in a month by
sales on slightly better terms; and in the Sec
ond place, the Government is too strong to be
even momentarily coerced. It could have left
the people to starVe without danger of insur-