The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-07-27
sroraGEor WATER IN INDIA.

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we have more than once discussed '"e
action Of the British Government IA resa
to the famine in India. We nave potn.o0
out the absolute certainty with winch ~
famines occur: that they are gums
hanpen is as well known as anything .s''i
he and the sole question that contronts INC
British Government has been how TO mini
p,ize their terrible results. II mas osei' ~
sad duty TO remark upon the inslsiti''ean>
suns spent by Great Britain, Oh '''e
amount derived by taxes from India LOT
the al!.viation or prevention OF these oisas-
fe1s. Queen Victoria, whose name -stai'u'
for All that is most glorious in England
civilization has seen eight OF these appaii-
ing catastrophes during her reign, each OIL
which has cost from one to five million hu-
man lives. And the money that has oeen
poured from private governmental sources
&c 1evond computation. And yet the fam
ines 90 on. And the authorities say, with
much Justice, that they are not aoie 10
cont-ol the monsoons. and without ram
there can be no crops.
1t seems as if the foresight Of man was
at lcngth going to be used - prevent the
rearru, ravages Of nature, anl under the
indian administration of to-day system
Is being inaugurated for storage that VIII
eurpass the magnificent coup dee'at OIL
Joseuh. the favorite OF Pharoah. VINO
bought the whole race of Egyptians TOT
handful of wheat, and left them il. bondage
ever since.
Now, Joseph's plan was storage, and
very primitive storage at that. But the
Indian Government has advanced great
deal over the Egyptian financial schemes,
and to-day India is trying to control fam
ines by storing, not wheat, but water. The
Boston Transcript says that this plan has
been carried out in one of the famine dis
tricts. which has blossomed like the rose
during all the famine period and to-day
there are acres of land that once was
jungle or desert, and now produces rice and
wheat for the hungry natives.
Sir Arthur Cotton was the first to urge
the wisdom OF this scheme, and LORD Cur
con. who is the first Niceroy to urge us
adoption, says from his own experience
SIX years ago Lyallpur, fiourishlns mart
for agricultural produce, was barren
Jungle. A million acres are now under the
cultivation of two hundred thousand pros
porous people, and the million and hait
pounds spent upon it is equalled in the
value of the crops Of 4 single year
Sir Arthur Cotton used to say: An en-
bankment of a hundred feet high, in con-
nection with the Toombudra, would form
a lake ninety miles in length, containing
tour or five thousand million cubic yards
This would be only one among many tanks
which, at comparatively small outlay
could be provided in various parts OF In
dia, forming inexhaustibe reservoirs, suf-
ticient 10 keep all the canals which could
be maze throughout India, in working
order. in the absence Of the monsoon rains.
And the cost would be about one pound
($5) 21o, 900 cubic yards of water"
The eternal SHOWS Of the everlasting
Hymalayas-five miles in heights and 1850
miles Iong-form an unfailing source OF
supply Of midas greatest treasure-water.
Surely with this wonderful demonstra-
ton before their eyes, Great Britain will
not be SO short-sighted as to let this op-
portunity slip, and it may be that India
will be as free from famines in the future
as she has been subject to them in the
past.