THE RUSSIAN FAMINE

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXV, Issue 7171, 11 March 1892, Page 3

THE RUSSIAN FAMINE

A SIUANTIO WORKHOUSE. A Rkutek man who has been touring in Russia under the auspices of an ollicer of the lied Cross Society, after describing some individual cases, says: They look as if they had not eateu anything for weeks, notdays. Some of the neighbours had nothing but the skeletons of their barns left, and several had begun to consume the roofs of their fauts for fuel, The live stock of the village had been reduced to a single famished looking sheep and a horse that was ouly a bag of bones, " You sec, my friend," he said, " this peasant isono of the poorest.. lie hns no corn, no cattle, no food. Vet he jg not marked down for the receipt of relief until three weeks heuce, because lie is still able to work. Aud now we will go to the next," 1 will spare the reador a dreary repetition of these scenes. The same picture presented itself again and agaiu. There were variations and in. cidents, however. Several peasants who protested that they had no bread were found to have entire loaves—and a Rus* sinu loaf, is uo trifle—of half meal bread; that is, not course, black bread, but rye bread mixed with wheat. Thu peasants scorned all to bo perfectly used to the summary inspection, audhad, indeed, gone through this form time after time. They all mado Ibiuga appear worse than what they were. But the burning of their own roofs is u sign which leaves no doubt aa to the acuteness o£ tho distress.

What strusk me must during visits to these hut 3 was iirat of all the appalling fact that the major part of the vast om. piro known as European 'Russia, namely, fifteen provinces, is in receipt of what we should call outdoor relief. Imagine an eutivo country, about ten tiwca the aizo of Euglaud, completely pauperised, tho i country gonlry turned iulo guardians of tho poor, the Government a gigantic workhouse, The next fact which strikes oue forcibly is the absolute helplessness aud solf«abasemcnt of the peasants. Where there are no country gentlemen the peasant seems to be absolutoly ruined. The fact ig the entire population is invertebrate. The country gentleman has been placed hi an unenviable position, Tho peasauta belivo tho C/.ar has givcu him mohoy for distribution, and that he is keeping it back. If this view gains 1 ground, it may lead. Id very aarious wm.

plications. A party of peasants went to ft tologrhph station anded in n telegrarauddiessed to the Emperor, to tho effect that the Governor of the Province was stealing the money which was their due, and which "the little Father" had sent for distribution among them, The telegram was not sent, but it led to the institution of an enquiry, which proved that a belief existed Dinong the people that as they sent their money to tho j Empsror, it was his duty to keep them. Besides, it was thought that, as ho could i have as much money as ho liked, monoy j could be no object to him, j