The Jasper news., 1907-05-02

ditions have grown steadily worse, and
plague has broken out in, one or two
Of the provinces. The sufferers are
huddled together in thousands in the
camps,
Millions Face Death.
In Russia the conditions are little
less appalling. For the first Zine In
the history Of such catastrophes In
Russia the government itself is aroused
to the necessity for relieving the
stress The famine affects no less
than 30,000;800 peasants inhabiting an
area half as large as the United
States, and" while this area lies be.
tween the stetpes and white Rus.
sia," the famine is affecting indirectly
the people within the pale" who de.
pend upon the peasants for trade and
commerce.
The peasantry represents IS per
cent. Of the entire population. Their
one means Of livelihood Is farming,
and when the rain did not come to
make their crops grow the past season
their only hope Of sustenance was .
gone.
Last year in more than 100000
square miles of Russian territory there
was sowing but no reaping. The peas.
ants hopefully put their little store OF
seed grain into the ground. When the
arid land failed to return q crop, not
only were they robbed Of the fruits Of
their toll, but their seed grain itself.
which might have served as food, was
gone. There was nowhere to turn for
work or succor. Hundreds of miles
away there were cities, but the few
daring ones who reached them sent
back the hopeless words: mo work"
Wholesale Grating"
In 1891, when the famine killed hun.
dreds, the Russian government hit
upon the expedient Of forbidding the
word hunger" but the famine Of the
present is SO much greater that the
government is fully alive to it. Be-
sides having appropriated $35,000.000
already, 1t is now negotiating loan
of $37,000,000 more for famine relief
But even this sum is totally inadequate
to the work in hand. especially as half
Of the money will line the pockets of
| official grafters to whom the deaths of
thousands of poor peasants is merely
| an unfortunate incident In their own
I short cut to wealth.
| At present the relief work in Russia
consists of doing out pound of bread
day to sufferers. The aged and
minors get nothing.
Some families OF Ave or six have
perhaps two who draw bread. Other
families Have none. II two of fam.
lily OF six draw bread and divide 1t
equally 1t means that each member
eats one-third Of pound a day. The
regular diet of Russian peasant Is
five pounds of bread daily. Thus the
most fortunate are now existing upon
one-fifteenth of their regular fare. o.,
to an American who has three square
meals day, two meals in three
| weeks.
The very seeds OF the weeds have
been eaten and the ground has been
stripped of every green thing. The lit
tie horses have all been sold or eaten.
and the occasional cows. too. Nothing
semains but the hope of relief from
the outside. There is no wood for
fires and many families have Joined
together In one house for warmth,
tearing the other dwellings down for
fuel.
1t Is estimated that In the province
OF Samara alone there wifi be 100000
deaths In total population of 3.000..
600. and others ofsthe 81 provinces afs
fected viii! have like averages.
Seek Aid of the World.
! Determined efforts are now being
made to enlist the sympathy OF the
world with the suffering, ignorant
1 peasants. and emissaries have been
sent to this and other countries. NJ.
Shiskoff, who is in America to enlist
aid. says that IS will save the life Of
an adult and that u win keep Z child
| from dying.