The evening times., 1898-07-29
The Famine in Russia.

(From the st. Petersburg Nova Vremya.)
The frequent failure of the cereal crop
in the same localities in Russia cannot
be accounted for on any other theory
than that the soil is being impoverished.
The famine of 1891. as well as the presen;
one, was caused by impoverishment. How
can it be otherwise in a region which is
over head and ears in debt, and has 10
means for encouraging rural industry?
AS is already known, in the central Cher
noziom region all the forests have been
cut down. This has had unfavorable con-
sequences for the farmers. Then. the
changes IN the tariff on grain and the
low price of cereals. owing to the condi-
tions of the international market have
destroyed the agriculture of that region.
OF course a poor harvest has always
sad results; but if a farmer has reserve
supplies, a famine may not ensue- But
when such a harvest occurs in a region
where the farmer has not enough to eat
and is prosecuted by all sorts of pay
ments, when the grain just taken off the
field is brought straight to the market
and sold at a very low price in order TO
pay the taxes. even a medium harvest
may not be sufficient to avert n famine.
This calamity has this year visited the
same localities as the famine of 1891. The
whole of the governments of Voronezsh.
Kaluga, Kursk, Orel. PenEa, Riazan.
Samara, Saratov. Simbirsk, Tamboy,
Tula and Astrakhan and some parts of
the governments of Nizhni Novgorod.
Kazan, Ufa. Perm. Stavropol and Oren-
burg are again stricken, not only with
the same distress, but even with a still
greater one, as there is also a deficiency
of fodder.
The conditions under which this famine
first manifested itself were more favora-
BILE than those Of 1891. The great disaster
of this latter famine consisted in the fact
that all the public granaries were nearly
empty. containing only one-fourth of the
amount of grain which should have been
kept there; in consequence of which, as
soon as the first symptoms of the coming
famine were observed a dreadful panic
set in, and was followed by grain specula-
tion. This lesson was very hard, and
caused larger quantities of grain to be
kept in the granaries, so that when, in
1887, was ascertained that a famine
might be expected, the granaries con-
tanned three-fourths of the obligatory
supplies. e., on January l, 1897. there
were In the granaries of the eighteen gov
ernments 6S.000.0 900 poods Q,224.00 tons) OF
different cereals. These supplies were
very beneficial; they prevented panic
during the first period of the famine, fur
nished the seed for sowing the winter
fields in all the governments where the
crops had failed, and prevented grain
speculation. Owing to this fact, the fam
inc in the eighteen governments has had
no influence on THE prices Of grain in the
Russian market.
On the other hand, the present famine
has occurred under very unfavorable
conditions, so far as the public funds are
concerned. The local and the general
alimentation capitals were spent during
the famine Of 1891. and the money has
been repaid very slowly. Up to the pres
ent day, only $500 900 rubles x4377, 500 in
grain and money have been distributed
to the ffamished governments from the
public fund.
The Red Cross Society, other benevo-
lent institutions, and private persons are
doing their utmost to help the needy.
A reduced railroad tariff was estahIis:..c {
on May 2. for grain going to the finisne.;
governments This tariff win continue un-
til September 1a Grain paying this rate
has to be accompanied by certificate
from the Russian Red Cross Society.