The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-13
RELIEFWORK In IRELAND
BALFOUR ASKS ANOTHER CREDIT
OF ABOUT s2eo,ooo.

Eight Thousand Men Given Employ
ment and Forty Thousand People
Relieved Under the Operations OF
the Past Few Months No Case of
Starvation on the Mainland, but Sew.
eral Narrow Escapes.
LONDON. March 12-In the House Of
Commons this evening In committee Of
supply Mr.. Balfour asked a credit Of
e55, ,53l for the relief OF the distress in
Ireland. he explained that the governments
had adopted every possible means to expe-
dite the relief work, which otherwise c1uld
not have been begun before April or May.
He spoke highly Of the assistance the
farmers, priests and landlords had rendered.
which had saved the government much ex-
pense- Altogether 5000 men we're employed
on these works and about 40 900 persons
hadIbeen relieved. He had carefully Inquired
into the condition OF every district, availing
himself OF every sOurco of infor-
nation, Official and unofficial, and many
private sources. lie never allowed a state
ment OF actual starvation TO be twenty-four
hours in his possession without instituting
an immediate special inquiry, and in every
case OF absolute destitution reported, he
had found complete, and, in many cases
fraudulent, misrepresentation.
NO CASE OF STARVATION.
There had been no case of starvation on
the main lnud, but there had been a great
risk of starvation on the islands, and, tnere-
fore, special steamers had been chartered to
Investigate the condition Of the inhabitants
and to convey meal and other supplies to
them. He dwolt upon the difficulty of OBJ.
tanning adequate supervision of the relief
work in order to insure that all deserving
and no undeserving persons should be em-
ployed. In some districts where reliable
lists OF deserving persons could be
obtained shillinKs was paid
weekly TO the persons on the relief
works, but in other districts where it was
impossible TO obtain such lists, the men were
paid only in kind, meal TO the value Of
| eleven pence being given daily to each work.
| man. This had the effect of diminishing
the demand for the work.
THE HANDS EMPLOYED.
The total number OF persons engaged on
tho relief works up to Feb. 28 was Z ,s97 The
total amount Of wages that had been paid
was e21 100. The government was at press
ent spending $4,000 weekly in wages.
Mr.. Morley said that he generally ap-
proved the points Of Secretary Balfour's
relief schemes for Ireland.
Thomas Wallace Russell, liberal, who is
opposed to home rule, said that never before
had the distress In Ireland been so admir-
ably met as at the present time.
The credit asked for was adopted.
The House of Commons to-day by vote
Of $50 to 40 adopted vote Of &l36,000 for
| light railways In Ireland.
WHAT THE TIMES SAYS.
The Times says: "'While the shattered
| fragments OF the Irish party continue to
| devote their energies to the patriotic task OF
mutual humiliation, Secretary Balfour
and the castle myrmidons are busy
| in the pacific routine Of
bringing daily bread to thousands of hungry
Irishmen. Their work is commonplace and
includes no fervid addresses. but, although
IL may soem tame, it shows a remarkable
record of good done"
| PARNELL NOT PRESENT.
LONDON, March l3.-Mr. ParneIl was not
| present In tho House of Commons last
| night during the discussion on the credits
for the Irish relief works.