The Distress in Russia.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6751, 4 February 1892, Page 2

The Distress in Russia.

St. Petebsbdbg, Dec. 11,

All classes of the community are discouraged by the half-hearted measures taken by the Government to relieve the famine districts. The important measures reported to be undertaken by the new Imperial Commission are as yet only on paper. The sums said to have been voted by the Government and (he munificent donations of the Imperial Family are being frittered away by the local authorities, of whose inexperience advantage has been taken by small speculators in the purchases they have made. The difficulties of the Government and the consequences of the famine are only now commencing to be realised. The dealers and export merchants complain that the prohibition of the export of grain not having been intimated at an earlier period, they entered into the usual contracts and the enormous amounts of grain, except rye, now lying at the ports and frontier stations is unsaleable except to the Government, their capital is locked up, and they have no means to enter into business for the future. The Government have cot as yet devised any means for the payment of the grain they have prohibited from being exported. There is no c. rotation of money, consequently there is nothing but insolvency, not only in Bt. Petersburg arid Moscow and the large townß,but throughout the whole country. The nobles have no money, and, not getting any revenues from their estates, they will not or cannot pay the shopkeepers, and this class is also in dire distress, as there are no Court festivities, and they see no way of paying thier way.

I have just had an interview with the Bev. A. Francis, Pastor of the British and American Church of St. Petersburg, which recently held its jubilee celebration. As Mr Francis has not only visited the famine stricken districts, but has organised a famine relief fund, and a special method of its distribution, his opinions as to the gravity of this widespread calamity and the best methods of distributing relief will no doubt be of general interest. In reply to my question as to how far his observations bad gone, Mr Francis replied : —“ This autumn I travelled through a large portion of the famine stricken districts for the express purpese of studying the condition of the peasantry. I visited the governments of Biazan, Tamboff, Nishni-Novgorod, Kazan, Uamara, Saratoff, and travelled down tbs Volga as far as Astrachan. I also passed some time in the Caucasus where the harvest seamed abundant.”

” Judging from what you saw do you think that the misery of the peasants has been exaggerated “ No; on the contrary. Judging from what I saw and from subsequent correspondence with English and Bussian friends in .the famine stricken districts, 1 should say that the full horrors of this terrible affliction have yet to be described.” “ How many people do yon think willperish in consequence of the famine, and .the diseases that follow in ita train ?”

“ That I cannot say, but I have received a letter from an Englishman residing on the confines of the Government of Samara, .who states that the distress is terrible to behold, the misery that is raging around there being indescribable, I myself,” continued Mr Francis, “ suffered hunger during throe days whilst travelling on tbe river Oka, a tributary of the Volga. I was compelled to pass three days in a Russian village, wh*re 1 was surrounded by a number of hungry peasants, to whom, not anticipating a delay of more than a few bouts, I gave all the food I had in my possession. Tbe steamer far which I was waiting had, however, grounded on a sandbank, and could not be got off for three days. I bad plenty of money in my purse, being then at the commencement of my tour; but could only buy black bread in limited quantities, and wbat 1 bought 1 really could not eat, although I was hungrier than ever I had been in my life. A peasant, to whom I had given my last morsel of bread, disappeared for a day, and returned with a present of eggs, by which I was sustained until the steamer came to my relief.” “ How is it possible,” I asked, ” that one year’s failure of crops is sufficient to cause such wide-spread ruin and misery among the peasantry?" “ The fact is, the present famine has not been caused by a single bad harvest, but by three in succession. For the last two years most of the peasants in tbe governments I visited have been more or less dependent on the charity and assistance of the landowners, who occupy a similar position in this country to that of the squires in England, and I wish to say (hat the relations between the landed proprietors and the peasants are excellent ; and had it nob been for tbe proprietors sympathy tbe distress would have long since been forced on the notice of the public. This year however, the proprietors themselves have been overwhelmed by the general calamity. Their crops have failed, and they are now unable, from their own resources, to oope with the distress.”