Evening star., 1897-03-26
THE FAMINE IN INDIA
Congress Aske to Pay for the Transports
tion of Wheat.
Memorial Presented to Congress-
Preparations for Sending Ves-
sells Over the Pacific.

memorial was presented In the Senate
today signed by representatives of a
number of Christian and humanitarian
organizations asking an appropriation OF
$4,000 to pay for the transportation OF
wheat and other provisions donated in this
country for the relief of the famine suf-
ferers in India. Wheat and corn have been
donated for this purpose by a number OF
the largest grain-producing states and pro-
visions have been made for sending one
or two vessels from the Pacific coast. The
object of this memorial Is to secure the
aid of the government in sending one or
two vessels loaded with grain from an At
lantic seaport.
Accompanying the memorial is printed
description of the condition of the famine
stricken country. In this connection 1t is
said: The secretary CT state for India.
Lord George Hamilton. gives the following
information: The area affected by fam
inc now comprises 100000 square miles
with a population of sc. .oO0,0oO people, and
the area visited by scarcity amounts to
121. 900 square miles with a population of
44.0OO.O0O people. The Indian government
at the time Of meeting was spending 1OO.-
600 rupees day on relief works.
The Indian government will probably
be called on to spend from f6OOO.OO0 to
t1c,OOO,OU sterling"
The illustrated London News of March
20 states: The Mansion House fund to
has received subscriptions to the amount
OF t31S.W0 The viceroy's report for last
week states the number of people on gov
ernment relief lists at 3,14l,U)O'
III the North American Review of March
SIT Edwin Arnold. K.CIE, C.SI, states
that the deaths in connection with the fans
me are likely to be reckoned by the lakh
un,UW)-perhaps by the crore 40 900 600
me need for relief will remain large until
autumn crops are reaped in September
ne number of destitute men, women and
children whose mouths must be filled will
mount to millions.
The United States government has AL,
thcrized the Secretary of the Navy to fur
nlsh transportation for one shipload of
grain from San Francisco to India This
grain Is now being collected by the San
fTGncfsco chamber of commerce and the
Christian Herald of New York
The entire cargo for the vessel is in sight,
and DIR. Louis klopsch has advanced the
amount necessary to move the last con-
signment of corn from the inland western
states to the Pacific seaboard. There is
already in sight large surplusage of corn
offerings from various western states, and
the MIDDLE west, Texas. Kansas, Illinois.
etc, as we'll states further east have
made voluntary tenders of corn for the
purpose of sending to India. which ten
ders will. in the aggregate. amount to
thousands of tons: One offer alone-from
Nansas-is of eighty thousand bushels of
old corn Many other offers Of lesser
quantities have been made. and these can
on brief notice be realized. and the corn
shipped TO the nearest port-preferably
New York-for transporta ton to India.
Tne leading railroad companies have ten
dered free transportation up to certain
amount beyond which they have signified
their Willingness TO scale rates to mini
Mum. If all the tenders of corn are ac-
cepted. there will be enough to make sew
eral cargoes, and in view of the famine
prices and scarcity of cereals in India it is
believed that immense advantage would
result from the bringing of cargoes to In
dia at the present time If the United
States government would furnish trans
portation for these cargoes the corn would
sent to India and distributed by the
American missionaries within two months
from date of this application.