§ SIR ANDREW SCOBLE (Hackney, Central)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether he is able to give the House any information as to the estimated quantity of food grains in local stocks in India in January 1897; the quantity of food grains imported into 279 British India during the past six months, and the actual or expected out-turn of the rabi or cold weather crops in India during the present season?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Lord GEORGE HAMILTON,) Middlesex, EalingThe further famine papers which will, I hope, shortly be distributed to hon. Members, give the latest information on the topics of my hon. Friend's Questions. Meanwhile I may state—(1) During last month the Government of India reported that visible supplies of food were sufficient for daily requirements throughout India. If failure of stocks was anticipated prices would rise; but they have not risen. It is not possible to ascertain correctly the amount of food stocks in each famine tract; but at present apprehension regarding the sufficiency of food stocks is not felt by the Government of India or the Local Governments, except in isolated areas of North-East Behar, where the local Government has been authorised to take special measures to aid private trade. I have further consulted some of the leading traders in food grains, and they endorse the Government forecast. (2) The latest import figures that have reached me are for last December. During the last three months of 1896 the foreign importations of grain into India were 27,179 tons, as compared with 1,567 tons in the corresponding quarter of 1895. These figures do not include importations from Burma, which has tins season an exportable surplus of over 1,600,000 tons of rice. Up to the middle of February 80,000 tons of the Burma surplus had been shipped to India, and tonnage had been engaged for 20,000 or 30,000 more. Knowledge of the Burma supplies was said to be keeping down prices of food in Bengal. (3) Fair spring crops are expected in parts of the Punjab, North-West Provinces, and Oudh. In the Central Provinces the yield of the spring harvest is poor.
§ SIR J. KENNAWAY (Devon, Honiton)asked whether the noble Lord could give any information as to the price of food in the various famine districts at the present time.
§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTONSeeing that the country over which the famine extends covers an area over three times as great as that of England, Scotland, 280 and Ireland, it would be impossible for me to give information of the kind. But if my hon. Friend would give me due notice I would be able to indicate what the price of food is. For the information of the House I may say that the practice of the Indian Government in famine operations is to pay in money sums sufficient to provide what is known as a sustenance wage, and if the price of food is high the amount paid is in proportion.
§ MR. T. R. LEUTY (Leeds, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether, in view of the fact that people in India are admittedly dying of hunger in unknown numbers, and that such a state of things necessarily indicates considerable sufferings on the part of others not actually brought to death, he will take immediate steps to make more effective the work of famine relief?
§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTONThe Question of the hon. Gentleman implies that the system of famine relief now in operation in India is ineffective and insufficient. No evidence, either official or unofficial, has reached me justifying this allegation. ["Hear, hear!"] In the middle of last month the Government of India telegraphed that "in all provinces relief arrangements were reported to be adequate and working well." Subsequent telegrams from the Government and unofficial information have confirmed that report. I am not at present aware of any steps that can be taken to make the work of relief more effective; if any such measures can be suggested they will be welcomed. I believe that the executive in India, their officers, and the large numbers of non-official workers now engaged in relief operations are doing all that can be done to mitigate distress, and the whole administrative and financial resources of the Government are behind them. A calamity so intense and widespread as that now afflicting India cannot be repelled without casualties and great privation; but never before in a scarcity of these dimensions have the general operations against famine been so successful as those being now carried on by Lord Elgin and his coadjutors.[Cheers.]
§ MR. LEUTYasked whether lie correctly understood the noble Lord the other day that three months would be required to find out how many had died 281 from famine, and whether he was right in inferring that people were dying in unknown numbers?
§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTONIf the hon. Gentleman thinks that a calamity of these dimensions could pass over India without raising the mortality-above the level which obtains in normal times he stands alone in that opinion. What I pointed out was, it was impossible to obtain in less than three months reliable information as to the mortality that has occurred: and I think it is better the officials administering relief should try and preserve the lives of those living than be burdened by collecting statistics of those who have died. ["Hear!"]
§ Mr. LEUTYI beg to ask the Secretary of State for India what relief is being given in the famine districts of India in the matter of payment of the land revenue; and what steps are being taken to preserve the cattle belonging to the suffering people in view of their future needs?
§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTONMy latest information shows that (1) the Government of India expect their land revenue for the year ending on the 31st of this month to be Rx.2,300,000 short by reason of suspensions and remissions due to famine. These suspensions are apart from other losses of revenue and from the large sums spent on relief operations and on loans to landholders. (2) The Government forest reserves are being, or have been, opened for grazing wherever such a step was required for the cattle of famine-stricken tracts. In one province, a forest officer of experience has been deputed to help private dealers in making the best use of fodder available in the Government forests. Water from Government irrigation works is being made available, as far as practicable, for the production of fodder crops, and, generally, the Governments and the local officers are doing what is in their power to help in saving the people's cattle.