The Washington herald., 1908-04-05

London, April 4-Dispatehes from Ber-
lin state that great and widespread dis
appointment is felt there at the post
ponement Of the measure to increase the
salaries Of subordinate government Of
ficials and employees. rot merely for the
sake Of the many thousands of families
whose income has not increased with the
prosperity Of the country, but also be-
cause the government has not fulelled
the promise s0emnly made by the chan
cellor a year ago.
The Liberal VossiseAe Zeitung men
tions that the financial secretary has de-
MED the assertion that the families Of
government officials and employees are
suffering hunger. but reminds him that
his predecessor IN Office admitted a year
ago that urgent need existed for an i'm
provement IN their salaries and wages.
The financial secretary may be right in
assuring the Reichstag that government
employees have enough 70 eat. adds the
Liberal organ, but men require some
thing more than food IN the present
times" II points out further that large
sums have been voted for an increase Of
the navy without waiting for the reform
Of the finances. and that when a question
Of the betteTment Of state servants is
mooted the financial secretary advises
the peoples representatives to practice
economy It also refers to the proud
statements made By Herr Sydow that
Germany is in anything but bad con-
dition financially; that Germans are
taxed TO a far less extent than are ire
English, French, or Austrians and that
great economic progress is revealed in
the increased returns from the income
tax. In the gradual increase Of wages. and
Of the accumulated funds OF savings
banks. All this, calmly states the vos-
sische zeltung. is an old story which
has been told Us By half a dozen financial
secretaries one after another
The Radical Tageblatt says that the
imperial government is manifesting its
!ncapaoity 10 pay a decent wage 10 its
employees, and by its dllatory methods Of
dealing with the situation shows that the
empire is in a auagmire out OF which It
finds difficulty IN extricating itself. There
is no wonder. il concludes. that people
are beginning TO feel uncomfortable The
Nationalist Tagliche Rundschau says IL
is unworthy a wel-ordered state to leave
its employees in A condition OF perpetual
anxiety, and urgently demands that the
necessary measures shall be introduced
In the autumn.
The Nationalist Deutsche Zeitung pub
fishes letter ia which Il is stated that
feeling of moral depression is overcom-
ing the lower officials. which threatens to
develop into one Of enlightenment and
which may produce serious effects
throughout the country.
Government denials Of reports regarding
great suffering in India are beginning 70
look ridiculous in view Of the latest Of
fetal statement received by the secretary
of state for India. The following portions
OF il will illustrate the situation
Rain fell during week in Northern
India and Burma For most part it was
slight, and in the Punjab more rain is
wanted badly Harvesting of early spring
crops has begun in United Provinces, but
has not yet affected numbers on relief,
which are still rising There are now
nearly 1,0O0,O00 persons on works and Si5,
0o) in receipt OF gratuitous relief In ad-
dition 3. .s29 persons are being relieved in
Balrampur estates. There are some signs
or deterioration in general condition OF
the people, and crime is increasing.
I'm Central India distress has extended
to Bhopawar agency. and total numbers
on relief are now: Works. 134.500; gratu-
itous relief, 20,5OO Gratuitous relief is
being given in Indore. General condition
Of the people is reported 70 be satisfac-
tory. and prospects Of mohwa and mango
crops are good.
IN Bengal numbers on relief have fall
en- and are now: Works, 36Ss; gTatui-
tous relief. Is. III
In Central Provinces harvest opera
tons have caused a fall In numbers on
relief works. which are now 3,I52. Spe-
cial relief is being given 10 2.IS5 weavers
and gfatuit0us relief to le.5Sl persons. in
Guiding dependents of immigrants from
Central India. Relief measures are ade-
0uate. and employment on ordinary
works is generally sufficient.
Total number Of persons in receipt Of
state relief in the whole Of India. now
exceeds 100000. Prices are slightly
ed fall in part Of Central Provinces.
Area sown with wheat IS now estimated
10 be % per cent less than last year.
Condition of the crops is generally fair
but rain is urgently needed, especially in
the Punjab and Bengal There is also
considerable deficiency in area sown with
oil seeds. Owing TO lateness Of winter
rains season has been unfavorable for
this crop. and the Out-turn will be con-
siderably below normal
One of the members OF the Russian
Douma has received a letter from the po-
iitical exiles in the Cherdin district OF
the Perm government describing their
wretehed condition and begging him to
intervene on their behalf. They say that
they number over 1890, and only an in
significant proportion Of them receive the
monthly dole of about FIVE shilIings for
food and clothes. The remainder are
given no money for their maintenance,
Notwithstanding their eeaseless applica-
tions TO the prisons administration OF the
province There have been numerous
cases of hunger typhoid. some with
atal results. and the exiles ask To be al
lowed 20 settle In the factory districts
OF the Perm government. where they can
earn wages by manual labor
In an article on Polar Russia" ard
the distress reported among many Of the
tribes in the extreme north, writer IN
the Noyoe Vremya charges the govern
ment with completely neglecting enor-
nous tracts Of country, the inhabitants OF
which, in consequence. are being unscrB-
pulously exploited and demoralized by
dishonest traders. Their miserable, de
generate state is contrasted with the com
parative well-being OF the natives Of
Greenland and the Aleutan Islands.
where the conditions of life are almost
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