THE INDIAN FAMINE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2251, 22 April 1897, Page 13

THE INDIAN FAMINE.

1 Calcutta, April 14. The number of natives employed on the i famine relief works in the North- Weßtern j provinces has decreased by 600,000.

Auckland, April 15.

The Indian famine fund closed at £1130. The last instalment of £380 was forwarded to-day.

Reuter's correspondent telegraphs :— " In the course of my journey I met Sir Roper Lethbridge, who was returning from tbe north-west provinces, and after comparing notes witn him •I arrived at the conclusion that this will he tho record famine of the century, greatly surpassing that of 1876 both in area and severity. Thß famine belt extends from Rawal-Pindi ta Bollary, and is 1300 miles loDg*and 400 wide, excluding the whole province of Bshar and other northern parts of Bengal, as well as th 9 eastern side of the Bombay Presidency and the northern portion of Madras. The area, is so enormous that the distress and mortality will ba upon ft corresponding ecale/ In none of the rice districts is there auy chance of a fresh food supp : y until September, and the Government must, thei't'f ore, support the entire populatiou for at least six months. With regard to the provinces of Central India, the Government is now fully alive to the gravity of the situation, and is makiog strenuous efforts to recover loit ground and to avert tbe horrible disaster which is impr.ndiog. The people, owiDg to the soarcity which has prevailed in the three previous year?, will succumb more quickly to the effects of the famine than they would otherwise have done. Whereas in the Bombay Presidency tbe famine vai anticipated, in the Central Provinces it has found the people unprepared, they htving speculated upon a rainfall which n-'ercame. At present, in th« J&bilpur district, c.v% of a population of 750,000 no fewer than 120.0C0 psrsens are in receipt of relief. The Kurai poorhouses in the wtsteru part of the district have been burned down, and 25 of the inmmtes perished ; also & severe hailstorm at Saugor has completely destroyed tha crops there. In the Nerbudda Valley ths wheat crop is good, but elsewhere it iaa failure throughout the corn-growing country. Cholera is reported from the Macdla district relief works. The food supply throughout the whole dis'rict is scauty, but the Government returns show that it will suffice for some moritbs to com?."