New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-02

TIE HORRORS or INDIA.


marvelously fertile land are waiting for an
occupant and cultivation, it is hard to realize
that there are other parts of the earth where
famine has become the normal and constant
condition because Of excessive population.
lecture recently delivered at Edinburgh 10y w.
w. Hunter. Director Of Statistics for the Gov
erument of India, is commented upon by me
London Economist rs deserving the careful AZ
tenton of all who are interested IN the c0ndl-
ton of the Indian Empire. The Economist says !:
It's dleutto conceive Of IA much more gloomy pc,lre
Mr. Hunter has all Official Information at his disposal ;
he has every interest in making out pleasing case
and he has often shown himself something OF an OPT
mist yet II his account Is correct INDIA Is slowly APP
pfoachng position IN which me people will be unable
to pay taxes.
His lecture shows that while France, rich
country which considers itself fully populated
and does not actually ralse food enough tor ITS
peoDle even when crops are excellent as they
are Ihis year, has only $50 inhabitants to the
SQUARE mile, the population OF British India,
excluding Assam and British Burmah, is 2 - to
the square mile Bat there are large districts
where the overcroWding IS far more threaten
ing I'm thirteen districts of Northern INDIA,
equal in size TO Ireland, the population Is more
than ESQ to the square mile. In some strictly
rural districts of Bengal the population IL l,2oO
nersons 10 the SQUARE mile. In regions having
po2uhtion CT over SO,O00,0O0 The Economist
saws. @the permanent danger is as great as il
- was IN Ireland before the population declined"
The people have no resource bat the lana.
! Only one-twentieth OF them dwell IN towns.
The pressure for food is 80 severe that the land
cannot be allowed any rest nor shifting of cul-
i M h.n col Al u
| Tho use OF manure Tor fuel has become SO gem
eral that the land cannot be sustained In
many places the pressure has become so tie
meud3ns that the pasture lands nave been
r,ougbcd 40. and he breeds OF cattle have de-
! generated Tor want OK proper and sufficient
! food. Nor is this temporary condition. 80
FIR as the Indian statesmen can see, it IS IT.
remediabe. In spite Of theiI poverty, the
people increase with marvellous rapidity. MI
grafton from the oyeGcIowded districts TO others
is preyenleH by the institutions OF the country,
- the native prefeIing he on the verge OF STAR
ayation, HE on one insufficient meal day, to
exile from hi own district, which is IN his tccl-
" Ing his only home, where his relatives and
caste-fellDWs all live
1t is the British belief that this trightful
overcrowdng Of population is due TO the VII
! tues anu excellenccs OF the Government when
| Great Britain has given to India. Foreign and
| intestine wars have been stopped, marshes have
been draincd, many epidemics have been sup
| pressed or brought within control, infantldde
| has been prohibited, and property has been
made secure. BIT all these things have greatly
| acc ,eratel the increase OF q POPULATION natu-
rally most prolific. The problem presented by
! tbese statements is one OF intense interest, aud
| ii is nor strange that public opinion in England
- much occupied with it. But there surely
must have been some lack OF wisdom, organiz-
| ing faculty, or humanity in the Government
under which this lrightful condition has been
developed. Civilization is & failure that cannot
lift prople above he feeling tnat escape from
pestilence, war, irfanhcide, ana harbalism Is
| not blessing. In India, according 10 these
accounts the condition of the people is worse
! and more hopeless tnan it was when they were
Slaughtered by disease and slaughtered each
other ut the rate of many million, yearly. II
| this is the best that British Orgauizatic n,
British capital and science, ana British govern
! ment can do for that vast Empire nearly IA
| large as all Europe west OF the Russian and
Turkish borders, the failure is most melan-
! choly one.