The daily Republican., 1902-12-22
FlNLANDERS
FACE A FAMINE
Almost a Complete Fail ure of
the Country's Crops is
Reported.
MANY RECORDS BROKEN.
Parishes Have Food to Last
Until Christmas--Nearly
Half a Million People
Are Suffering.

ST. PFTERSBERG. Dee. 2n.--The
average grain crop gathered +, Finland
Is valued at So, O,OOO,Ouu. Tn estimated
value Of the 1902 crop is $tDirUD 900.
wv nile this loss is generally distributed
throughout Finland it is almost total
III the northern third of III" country,
where are the provinces Of Iica!,nrg,
kuopio, Vasu. st. Michael and portions
OF Fib0rls Peas and beans generally
nave failed. and the potato crop has
not been gathered The iIay has rottrd
Or been swept away by floods.
The disaster is due to the late spring.
the nearly continuous chilly rains and
the early frost, which was recorded
Aug. 10. In the north there have been
only half dozen days when it did not
rain The rains also spoiled the fish
Ing. so complete was HE failure Of
veEptation that dead birds hy The hun
dredS have been found in the forests.
The present crop failure is ;he worst
that has been experienced for the last
nifty years. 1t is hoped, however, that
better methods of communication will
facilitate the work Of relief and avoid
wholesale deaths by hunger and ty-
phus.
.. There are all told about 800 parishes
In Finland. One hundred and ninety
four of these parishes are now nearly
destitute. The agricultural board has
received reports from 40 Of the 1914
parishes. showing that lO6 have food
supplies which will suffice them until
Christmas only. The unripe rye and
barley, which the people are forced to
use. make Il bitter bread, which the
hungry horses refuse to eat. In some
parts of the country bread is baked
from barley huSkS and straw mixed
with littl" flour. This product is pur-
c'ns"h by the needy people with their
huardrd savings. Such bread contains
very little nutrition and is extremely
unwholeSome. The peasants have cX-
pended all their money for flour and
are consequently uuab!e TO buy cloth
hg.
TIL" danger of famine was realized
eRrly by the public. Count BobyiOkoh,
governor general Of Finland, issued an
appea for help In Russia. A voluntary
relief committee was organized by Fin
land"rs, with branches throughout the
country. The Anglo American church
here is affiliated with this committee.
Hha senate has decided to construct !
public works at an expenditure of +
S3I5,Wm, and it has allotted S3UO,OOo /
for tho pUlchnS" of grain. which will |
De sold to the people at cost Seventy
fly" thousand dollars will hr used to
enruuiHg" "otag" industries. The prov
ines and certain cities Of Finland
Hayt voted various sums for relief
" Drk. amounting IN all 10 5000, 900.
Tir voluntary relief committee has re-
Criv"d Sl25,o00, but it is unjlrrat God
that all of this sum has already been
expended.
Pastor Nilhurn of ST. Petersburg has
Just returned from II slcdgr Journey
through KuOpio province. He found
400 school children who were in need
OF foot OF his number l.lI1 were
totally destitute. II is estimated that
4W',o' VIII u" without food after
Christmas. business il Finland is suf-
frrng in sympathy with the extreme
hui uu failures have yet
bcru recorded. he banks have not
rn!Iri the rate Of discount.
Emigration from Finland il increas-
ine constantly. Up /" Nov. II .ol55
persons had letI III" country this year
0i Finlander> laN" crossed III" GUlf of
EpI hilla to sweden and have taken
I'n-Iagr from there. Thr effects Of the
rrnp fliIur" on emigration. hnw"rcr,
VIII he felt more strongly III 1908.