The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-24
RELIEF WORK IN INDIA.
Letter to the Chairman Of ehe New
York Committee.

NEW YORK. July 23.-The following let
ter from the Rev. Robert ,. Hume, Excel
tive Secretary OF tde Amorico-IEdiau lie
lief Committee Of Bombay. addressed to
William Z. Dodge. Chairman Of the y V
York Committee Of One Hundred or Iadal
Famine Relief. was made public to1ay:
Dear Mir. Dodge: We axe all satisfied
that in addition to the providing Of iloI
for the starving, the best way 10 save Re
in the Ioag run is to follow the lines here
in indicated. Village relief is mot effective
now, at the beginning OF the rainy season.
when people leave the Government reii- +
works for their villages. in helping very
many of those who have no resources.
Village relief means giving small amounts
Of money ard grain. ard the providing OF
employment on nCc1ful local works, &c.
Aid to children and deserted women reaches
those who cannot Otherwise take cGre Of
themselves. You would be surprised %
see how, under the awful stress OF famine,
people desert their children and fGeUle
relatives. Aid in clothing Saves lnaay
lives in this irclement sea on, when ran
comes to drench the people and the Up
ground On which they sleep. Aid TO firm
ers at this season VIII prevent ha Il
many more, orphans aud other famine saf
ferers by and BY. Last Friday mcrEi. z at
3:39 O'clock l rose and left FOR the famine
districts. ard Was gone tin 10 O'Clock on
Wednesday night, /. G., six days-save
part of Sunday and Sunday night, when l
returned hcme for supplies and to ans yer
kilograms, etc. in this time | arranged
for aid to farmers in III towns. Other
members Of our volunteer relief Co.Is 4 e
done the same in about 400 other towns in
the last ten days
Subordinate Government officers had
previously made cut lists Of needy farm
ers. These lists were kindly placed in our
hands as tie basis Oh which to proceed.
We questioned every applicant, judged of
his situation. told him to get a Governs
mcnt loan If this was possible. excluded
seine names. AIDED m;1y others. and gave
each an order fer a finite amount, in no
case exceeding 81. according to his land
and ccnditiG1s-whicll money viii be paid
when all IS ready fer the actual sowing.
Widows, children. am poor people received
special consideration.
The subordinate officers who prepared
tie lists had. for the most part. emitted
the names CT farmers On relief works. yet
those farmers really most needed help.
Accordingly. we have put such names on
the list, 10 a considerable extent. al
though we cannot do all that IS necessary.
This statement is made to show. in some
detail. how the gifts from your committee
are being used. In a few days assign
ments Of all the sums which you have re-
miJtsd will be made. Just now we are
a large amount OF clothing in
the following way: Trusty agents go to
the Government relief works and make
lists Of the persons who are most nearly
naked \ white paper. stamped by one Of
our relief corps is flied out by the agent
with name, town. etc. of the person. and
is an order for a cloth for woman A
blue paper of similar character is an order
for n blanket. The cloths and blankets
are left with the faithful officer in charge
Of the relief work. When the person pre-
sents the order he or she gets the gar
ments. This method ensures wisdom and
accuracy and OiSer in the distribution of
the clothing
Rain has begun to fall and. in this
region the prospect for the sowing of
fields is good. In some towns ! have
plsced a pair of oxen with the mission
agent. who allows the poorest farmers to
use them in turn. In other towns we are
placing light agricultural instruments 10 !
be pulled by hand. Il is premature to say
how largely these viii be used. but We
are doing all we cal. We are under i'm
mense Obligations TO he committee Of one
hundred. and 10 all who send relief funds
Receipts for moneys are taken from those
TO whom Money is r5mi-ted by cur treas
urer. and We mem TO have everything
done in q bGsia2s5-liAe way"