The morning times., 1897-01-10

& - -
impossible to carry food until the death
lists are enormously swollen. ,.
Large as the existing Indian relief sys-
TEN is, il is entirely unable to meet a
famine period which, it is estimated, will
extend over the whole of 1887. Cable
grams from the Yiceroy of India have been
received here, telling CheerfuIly Of rains
that have fallen in several parts of the
country, but OF what possible use are
rains to a people with starvation staring
them in the face?
They cannot sit down and wait for
crops to grow, ripen and be harvested,
but it appears that the Indian government,
with incouprchensible faulty, has acted
on the belief that rain and not food was
wanting. or course, rain VIII prevent a
recurrence Of the famine, but what is
wanted now is food, and that right speed
lily, TO save thousands upon thousands OF
men, women and children from a torturing
death.
Fund Started for the Sufferers.
The India office authorities here, act
ing on the entirely unfounded presump-
tion that no aid was required aside from
that which would be given by the Indian
government, checked tile lord mayor Of
London from starting a famine fund, but
as the advices now at band show that the
arrangements for fighting the famine are
entirely inadequate the lord mayor, at the
request of Lord George Hamilton, secrc-
tary OF state for India, has opened fund
that promises to reach large figure
The Indifference hitherto displayed by
the British people TO the sufferings of their
fellow-subjects in India has undoubtedly
been due TO the attitude of the authorities.
The appeals that are now being made to
them are meeting with a ready response,
and large contributions have already been
received at the mansion house, the official
residence of the lord mayor.
The fact that Russia long ago saw and
acted upon the necessity of quickly ex-
tending aid TO the sufferers VIII no doubt
cause the charitable here to emulate and
surpass the generosity of the Russians.
Declining Trade and Dear Money.
Tie question of national relief grant
will ba raised in Parliament. The business
aspect OF the famine is altogether depress-
ing A bad budget, declining trade and
dear money embarrass and Will embarrasS
the Indian government. The official value
of money called for two months at o per
cent has been fictitious value. The Bank
OF Bombay has refused TO lend at even 10
per cent .,-
The commission appointed TO examine
into the depression in the West Indian
sugar industry has already taken the evil
dence of Mr. Neville Lubbock, Mr., Alstone
and other representatives of the West In
dian traders.
The leading recommendation made by all
the witnesses thus far examined has been
in favor Of countervailing duties, to offset
the bounties paid to the continental makers
OF beet root sugar, in the event of it being
impossible to arrive at an agreement with
the bounty-paying nations to abolish the
bounties Statistics placed before the
commission show that while the popula-
ton of the British West Indies increases
at the rate of l4,0OO annually. the sugar
exports have fallen % per cent. in fourteen
years.
Sugar Planters in a Bad Plight.
The French sugar planters in Martin
plight as those in the British ceIonies.
They have memoralized the French gov
ernment to the effect that the French
colonial sugar industry is on the verge OF
utter ruin, and demand that against the
home bounty system they shall be al
low ed a grant of francs on every hun
dred Kilograms they export, whether to
France or foreign countries. The Eng
ra on thesteamer Don on Wednesday next
There is promise of further scandal in
Italy in connection with the national mon
ument that is being erected to the mem
ory of King Victor Emmanuel, The ques-
tion is being asked, what has become of
the S1,S00,000 that was voted some
years ago by Parliament for the pur-
pose of building the memorial, which was
to be magnificent work of art.
1t was Thought that this sum would be
sufficient to complete the work, but the
monument is not half finished, and it is
said that tie further sum of So 200 900 will
be needed to complete the work as planned.
The recent unearthing OF peculiar finan-
cial transactions in some of the goven-
ment departments, transactions involving
the loss of large sums of money, leads to
the suspicion that all the money set aside
for the monument was not devoted to the
purpose for which it was voted.
Coming to Washington.
The British delegates to the International
Postal Congress, to be held at Washing
ton, are Mr.. Spencer Walpole, secretary
to the postoffice; Mr.. H. Buxton ForInan.
one of the assistant secretaries and con-
troller of the packet services, and Mr.. G. A.
King, receiver-gcneraI of the department.
The delegates will be accompanied by
Mr.. A. B. Walkley,a "a first-class clerk in the
secretary's office, who will act as secre-
tary OF the delegation. Ir. WalSIey is
well-known dramatic critic.
The Duchess OF York, daughter-iR-law of
the Irinee ofwales, expects to be accouehed
in April.
The Prince and Princess of Wales re-
turned to Sandring ham on Thursday from
Trentham Hall, Staffonlshire, where they