Evening star., 1904-03-23
erOaf = Con- CONSTITUTION
Direct fan strnction Of OF irriga-
Total t21 yrs) s5s,5sly7pe s24, ,1s7 $40 sess4.7 I
Anticipating Famines.


Concerning the efforts and the plans OF
the government in anticipation of future
famines, Lord CurxonI said:
Our first object was to pull the sufferers
through. Our second object was to start
them again with reasonable chances in the
world Behind these two objects lies the
further and binding duty of profiting by
the lessons that the, famine has taught. 1t
VIII not DO Tor us to sit still until the next
fam1ne comes and then bewail the myste-
rles OF Providence. A famine is a natural
VISITATION In its origin. but 1t is. or should
be, very. business-lke proceeding when
once IT has started. There are many sub
Jects into which We shall require to make
careful study. We shall want to compare
the various relief systems and their re-
suits as practiced in the various provinces;
to see in what respect our codes are faulty
where they are too rigid and where they
are TOO lax we must consider how far sud
den and excessive mortality is to be ex-
planned and to be prevented. We must as
certain the best means of bringing home re-
lief with the greatest promptitude and di-
rectneSS to the people. We must inveSti-
gate and report upon the various works
that nave been undertaken in the course of
the recent famine, and must provide for the
execution of continuous program Of pre-
Vent1ve works In the future.
mere are few parts of the country
wnere works FOR the storage of water are
not practicable. They may not probably
will not. be directly remunerative. But if
Sucn works were conducive to greater Sc
curlty or the crops, and if they can be
maintained at moderate cost, they should
De taken up or kept in hand for an emer-
gency. All these matters are being iDves-
tgated or set on foot before the next fam
Inc comes The rainfall of India We can
neither regulate nor forecast. The social
habits of the people we cannot alter in a
decade, or in generation. But If we can
neither prevent nor cure, at least we can
do a good deal by taking these precau-
tions."
The Chief Remedies.
The chief remedies which the government
has been endeavorng to apply are:
l. To extend the cultivated area by build
ing irrigation works and scatter the peo-
pie over territory that is not now occupied.
will make this the subject of a future
letter.
2. To construct railways and other trans
portation facilities for the distribution of
food.
This has been pushed with great energy,
and during the last ten years the railway
mileage has been increased nearly so per
cent to total of more than 2b,0O0 miles.
About 2,O00 miles are under construc-
ton and approaching completion, and fresh
projects will be taken up and pushed so
that food may be distributed throughout
the empire as rapidly as possible In time
OF emergency. Railway construction has
also been one of the chief methods of re-
lief. During the recent famine and that
of 1897 millions of coolies, who could find
no other employment, were engaged at
living wages upon various public works.
This was considered better than giving
them direct relief which was avoided rs
far as possible, so they should not ac-
quire the habit of depending upon charity.
And as part of the permanent famine re-
lief system for future emergencies the
board of public works has laid out a
scheme of roads and the department of
agriculture a system ) of irrigation, upon
which the unemployed labor can be mob
ilizcd at short notice, and funds have been
set apart for the payment of their wages.
This is one of the most. comprehensive
schemes of charity ever conceived and
must commend to every mind the wisdom.
foresight and benevolence of the Indian
government, which, with the experience
with a dozen famines, has found that it's
greatest difficulty has been to relieve the
distressed and feed the hungry without
making permanent paupers of them. Every
feature of famine relief nowadays involves
the employment of the needy and rejects
the free distri button of food.
3. The government is doing everything
possible to encourage the dversifcation of
labor, to draw.Ipeople from the farms and
employ them In other industries. This re-
quires a great deal of time, because it de-
pends upon private enterprise but during
the last ten years there has been a notable
increase in the number of mechanical in
dUstries and the number of people en-
ployed by them. which it is believed will
continue because of the profits that have
been realized by investors.
4. The government is also making special
efforts to develop the dormant resources of
the empire. There has been a notable in
crease in mining, numbering, fishing and
other outside industries which have not re-
ceved the attention they deserved by the
people of India; and, finally,
). The influence of the government has
also been exerted so far as could be to the
encouragement of habits of thrift among
the people by the establishment of postal
savings banks and other inducements for
wage-earners to save their money. Ninety
per cent of the population of India live
from hand TO mouth and depend for susie
nance upon the crops they raise upon little
patches of ground which in America would
be too Insignificant for consideration. There
is very seldom a surplus. The ordinary
Hindu never gets ahead and, therefore,
when his little crop fails he is helpless.
The object of the savings bank system
which has been established in connection
with the post office department is gradually
becoming understood by the people and will
furnish an interesting topic for another
letter.