The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-02-14
!Grcat Famine in India.
MILLIONS OF SUFFERING MEN,
WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
No Rain in Madras and Bombay for
Twelve Months.

No Rain in Madras and Bombay fol-
Twelve Months.
Three years ago, it will be remember
ell, the British Government in India was
called upon 20 make vigorous and eXpen-
sive efforts for the relief Of Il vast popula-
, ton in Bengal, suffering on account ofthc
failure of crops. This year, even more
extensive regions in other Provinces OF
that vast Empire are similarly afflicted,
and already measures Of relief are under
taken. Somewhat vague ruInors of the
real condition of things had reached Eng
land, but tho first full and authoritative
information was recently given by the
publication OF Il lon" dispatch to the Coy
evnor General Of India by Lord Carnar-
Won, acting in the absence of Lord Sails
bury. BY this document it appears that
as early as July last the crops began to fail
on account Of drought in some parts OF
Madras, no rain having fallen for twelve
months previous, nor has any rain fallen
since then in large districts Of Madras and
Bombay. Neither the southwest nor the
northwest monsoons brought rain, and
the result is, that throughout large and
denscly populated tracts scarcity has de-
velopCd into famine already terrible, from
which there cannot be any natural relief
before April, when crops begin to ripen,
and not full relief before ncXtSeptembcr.
In bombay the area of scarcity is about
$4,000 square miles, a district as large as
Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont,
and containing u population of eight mill
ions, nearly equal to the population of the
States of New York and Pennsylvania.
In the Madras Presidency tho region
affected comprises about $4,000 square
miles, that is larger than the States OF
New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts,
Vermont and New Hampshire, and con
tains L population of nearly eighteen mil
lions. Altogether, the population thus
stricken is considerably more b one
half that of the whole United States, and,
with tic subjects of native princes not yet
brought under British rule, will doubtless
exceed th%ree-tourths of the population Of
the nation. Not all of these will require
relief, but the number who must i'll some
way be aided by the government to keep
them from starvation will be several mil
lions.
Great as would he the labor of provid-
ing subsistence for such a multitude under
any circumstances, the difficulty is much
greater in India. In the first place, the
people themselves have little energy to
put in operation means Of relieving them
selves. In the presence Of such a calam-
ity they yield and die almost without an
effort to avoid the peril. They have neither
the stamina to endure nor the enterprise
to overcome hardships. In good times
the earth yields so abundantly the simple
necessities for the su%stenance of life that
they have little need Of eXertion or fore
thought. When the evil day comes they
are unprovidcd for, and they submit to
death as to q fate which it is impossible to
escape, and with which it is useless to
quarrel. In the second place, the means
of transportation are very inadequate.
Within the past twenty years the British
Government has done much III the way
Of opening communication by means OF
roads, canals and railways; but there are
still large tracts, tceming with population,
to which the only way of access is by
rough and nearly impossible bullock
roads, over mountain passes or through
dismal jungles. The provinces how in
want are much better situated for relief
than was the case with the province OF
OrissI in 1866. No sufficient supplies
could be sent there by land or sea for the
want Of available harbors or roads. While
aInSlc supplies OF food were stored at dis
tances away which would be short If con-
nccled by railway, only l75,0O hundred
weight of rice were transported to the
famine district, and more than three
quarters OF Il million Of tho inhabitants
persisted under the eyes Of the helpless
English officials. Something more than
Il hundred years ago the Same region sui
| lcred Il more terrible famine, and ten
millions starved to death, and onc-third
of Bengal lay waste and silent for twenty
years. In these periods OF famine the
draft cattle, which are the sole dependence
r.. y@-1 -, ,At ~ n flIkf rtntN nrn
carly sacrificed.
Tic organization of administration in
the British India service is, fortunately,
well adapted for such eXiytncics as the
present. Already vast preparations have
been made for the work to he done. h
government, too, appreciates the advan-
tage Of distributing lis aims in the form
OF wages rather than as a gift. The occa-
sion is seized for The prosecution OF puDllc
works needing to DC constructed, n Tor
perfection Of systems OF storage OF water
and irrigation that will help to avert fu-
ture calamitics Of the same kind. The
Madras officials ave made large purclas-
es Of grain, but this step is not approved
by the Home Government, which prefers
not to interfere with the operations OF
trade except in the last extremity. a dis
match from Calcutta to tho London Times,
Under date the l4th instant, says that 2o7,-
0OU people in Bombay are now employed
by tho government OH relief works, and
in Madras the number SO employed IS al
ready over a million. and many arc re-
cciving charitable relief-probably those
who cannot work. 1t IL expected that he
number employed will steadily increase
until May, and then gradually decline
until September. The wages paid seem
seem insignificant, being only . 1our
pence a day, yet they are probably sun
cient to purchase rice enough to keep lie
in the body. II is estimated that the cos!
to the government, from loss OF revenue
and from expenditure in 'hc work OF re-
lief, will not fall short Of twenty-five mil
lion dollars, a drain on the Indian reVen-
ucs which, coming so soon after the losses
on account of the famine i'll Bengal, is
the necessity of some more systematic
and economical provisions for dealing
with such crises, which must be expected
to happen with more or less frequency.
Attic last reports from india, Lord
Lytton, the Governor General, dispatched
Sir Richard Temple or a special mission
to the distressed districts to make a per-
sonal inspection Of their condition, II to
confer with the local governments respect
ing the methods of and amount Of assis-
tancc that will be needed. He will report
to the Supreme Government, Inc upon
his report, which is anXiously looked for,
future action will be based. Sir Richard
Temple has superior qualifications for this
task. He it was who organized and oper
ated the plans for the relief of the Bengal
famine in a manner which proved his pos
session of tho highest order of admins,
trative talent, and won the unreserved
appreciation Of both the Indian and Home
Governments. Lord Carnarvon has in.
!, structed the Governor General to send
| him frequent and regular reports of the
f condition Of affairs, and it is probable thai
!, the English people will from, this time Oh
be kept fully informed Of the particulars
| of suffering and relief.
} THE MAY-BENNETT DCEL.-A state
, ment which seems to be authoritative is
current now in "society circles as to tho