Smyrna times., 1891-10-07
DestltutiOn in Russia.
A STATE OF FAMINE IN THIRTEEN
GOVERNMENTS.

LONDON, Sept. ga dispatch from
st. Petersburg to the Telegraph, des-
cribing the situation in Russia arising
from the failure of the crops, and de-
failing narrowing incidents Of the fam
inc now prevailing, says that not for
centuries has such widespread distress
been recorded. A circular has been
issued by the Minister of the Interior,
which enumerates thirteen Govern
ments in which the people are com
pletely ADMINISTRATOR, and eight il
which partial famine prevails.
The trouble is chiefly due to the
Government, which although we'll
aware at the beginning of the year that
a famine was imminent, delayed taking
any action to relieve the distress until
it was too late. What benefit would
have been derived from the prohibition
of the expectation of rye was nullifed
by the action of the Government in
extending the time for the decree to
go into effect In addition to the
scarcity of food, which has caused un-
told suffering, the distress has been
intensified by the enormous number Of
disastrous fires that have occurred
throughout the famine-stricke region.
In many of the districts entire villages
have been destroyed. Added to these
cruel strokes of fortune came the cattle
plague, from which thousands of head
of cattle persisted, many families losing
their only means of subsistence.
What little food it is possible for the
peasants to obtain is of the poorest
description. In many cases their only
food is the sweepings and refuse from
the flour mills. In SaratOf the land
owners found this refuse so injurious
to their cattle that they would not
feed it to them. But the landowners
made bread of it and fed it to their
peasants. Bread made of finely chop
ped straw and bran, mixed with a
small quantity of rye, is considered ex.
cellent. In many districts the star.
wing peasantry are not able to procure
even these miserable substitutes fol-
nOurishing food, are reduced to the
most dire straits to procure anything
that will prolOng life. In these dis.
tricts the starving population are keep
ing themselves alive by making and
eating what they call hunger bread
the ingredients of which are dried
dung, the powdered bark of trees anC
ground peas and gOOse-foOt, a plan
more commonly known as pig-weed
Heavy rains have fallen and the
ground is so soaked with water that
the potatoes are rOtting. The price o
potatoes has already doubled and i
still rising.
The peasant boards have sent petit
tions to the Ministry praying that tn
taxes and arrears of taxes be wipeG
out. The petitioners declare that thu
government will be obliged to main
tain the impoverished people for four
teen months, and that it will he utterl,
impossible for them to pay the taxes
The great fair which is annually bel,
at Mini NOvgorOd, and which is al
tended by merchants and dealers iron
all parts of Russia, was a failure thi
year. This was due to The enormou
number of bankrupts and their cOnse
quent withdrawal from trade.
many villages the peasants hav
nailed up their huts, and have lei
their cOmmunes to scOur the cOuntr
in search Of work. Hundreds Of theI
have failed in their search, and ar
begging along the roadsides. In nun
erOus cases the seed corn which wa
furnished the peasants by the Govern
ment has been eaten instead of bein
planted, and the land is lying fallow.
Notwithstanding the terrible cond
ton Of the peasantry, the taxes col
tinue to be extorted from then
Where the peasants display any III
willingness to pay over their taxes, til
he collectors resort to physical means
ed collect the money from them. III
knOut is extensively employed by ii
officials Of the tax-collecting depar
ment of Russia.