HC Deb 19 July 1889 vol 338 cc839-40
MR. BRADLAUGH

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India (1) whether the Secretary of State is aware that Mr. C. W. Bolton, collector of the 24 Pegunnahs, Bengal, in reference to the distress now existing in the district, has stated that "the proper policy" to adopt in times of scarcity is to refuse aid, "in any shape," but that of relief works, except in case of actual famine; (2) whether Mr. Bolton, in his Report circulated by the Government of Bengal, stated— I have, myself, no doubt that a few of the cultivators have great difficulty at present in obtaining a fair supply of food. There are doubtless a few cases, in some villages, in which that difficulty exists, but the men can easily obtain work; and, if really pressed, will no doubt seek it. For the labourers, also, there is and has been no want of work, as will be explained further on. The infirm who subsist on the charity of relatives, or neighbours, are certainly the class which is suffering most at present. (3) whether the daily wage paid on a relief work is only enough to support the labourer to whom it is paid; and, therefore, does not leave anything to be sent by him to the infirm or weakly members of a family who may be entirely dependent upon the head of the family; (4) whether the policy, which the Governor of Madras has carried out in Ganjam, has received the sanction of the Secretary of State, and whether that policy has made provision for the relief of the very classes whom Mr. Bolton has declared to be beyond the need of State assistance, until deaths from starvation have occurred; and (5) whether the Secretary of State will direct the attention of the Government of India to the need for impressing upon subordinate Governments the desirability of uniformity in methods and extent of relief after the manner adopted by the Government of Madras, at an even earlier period of the distress, i.e., before any appreciable number of the people become "emaciated," than was the case in Ganjam?

SIR J. GORST

No Report from Mr. Bolton has been received, and the Secretary of State cannot, therefore, express any opinion upon the first two paragraphs of the question. The third paragraph may be answered generally in the affirmative, though it should be added that members of a family unable to work receive relief. The policy of the Madras Government at Ganjam has received the approbation of the Secretary of State. In respect to the last paragraph, the Secretary of State does not consider it necessary to give instructions to the Authorities in India other than those contained in the Famine Codes. These have been drawn up with great care as prescribing the best mode of alleviating distress, and interference with their procedure would be likely to increase the calamity of famine and cause greater loss of life.