A rowe in Behar and Rajshaye, affecting a population of some 25 millions, is a thing at which a government may, well stand aghast; and the Government of India, warned by the example of 1865, has early seen cause to be alarmed for the future. It has not, however, in the view of the possible consequences of the scarcity, been content to stand still; but has energetically laid before itself the task of relieving, so far as Government could, the distress certain to fall on the unfortunate inhabitants. Unfortunately the districts ffected by the drought of last autumn are remote from easy communication. The rivers are not navigable, or but. partially so.at certain seasons of the year, and railways have not yet penetrated into the heart of the district. This state of affairs naturally tends to increase the scarcity. First, because we know that such a state of affairs is eminently calculated to fuster an excessive agricultural population entirely dependent on the land they culti-vote; and secondly, because it affords no opportunity to the people of storing up surplus in food or money. Thirdly, and in time of scarcity like the present worst, to these difficulties must be added that of supplying the district with food from without. That this diffi culty is excessive may be judged from the fact that Calcutta, bt a few hundred miles from the distressed districts, is actually engaged shipping rice to the continent of Europe,—a fact which has been ich animadverted on in India, where the popular opinion seems to be that Governmentshould prohibit the export, in the view of the excessive requirements nearer home, Looking dispassionately at the subject, we are disposed to think that the Government has acted wisely in refusing to accede to this request. Cal-cutty is situated sufficiently near to the great exporting depots of Burma, Siam and Cochin China, to warrant confidence that the market there will be able to respond to any call made upon it; and the possibility of its being unable to do so would afford the only excuse for so dangerous an interference with trade, In point of fact, such a course of conduct would be simply to lay an exclusive tax on the rice, in place of leaving the burden to be equally divided amongst all; and no trade is more sensitive to sudden checks than that in articles of food.
In the distressed districts, too, the Government has been very careful in its arrangements, that they shall not inter-fore with the natural flow of rice into the country. While Behar has been deprived of the usual autumnal rains, the northwest provinces have had an unusually good harvest. Private enterprise is bringing the excess into Behar, tempted naturally by the high prices ruling there, In order to continue this supply, it became necessary for the Government to take precautions that the grain imported by itself should not interfere with private enterprise, as otherwise a very important source of supply would be cut off, and Government relief, so far from being a blessing, would result in rendering the scarcity greater than before, The Friend of India makes some interesting caleulntions as to the amount of grain which it will be necessary to throw into the affected districts, The three units of its calculation are—a threatened population of 25 millions, a period of ten months to the end of next October, and half a pound of rice per diem as the minimum quantity necessary to support life, In the distressed districts it is calculated that there are about 2} mouths supply. The food crops of the past auturn and those to be looked forward to in spring will probably together supply four or five mouths out of the remainder, so that the actual deficit will be about months supply, or at the smallest caloulation 430,000 tons. Private enterprise from the west may be looked to to supply about 200,000 tons, leaving about 230,000 tons for Government to lay down. By the end of January it is probable that at least one-third of this supply will have been purchased and stored; the railway cannot carry more than 2,000 tons a day either way, and it could hardly do this for a series of weeks. The Ganges trade up-stream does not set in" with vigour till March, when the wind is favourable. Scareely any grain comes down the river from Cawnpore before the rains. Ordinary trade will do well, therefore, if it supplies so much as we have estimated. After June, inland carriage will not be available, for what beasts of burden are left will be required in the fields. the best, from February to May, Government will have still to purchase and store 150,000 tons of food in addition to all they may have accomplished by the end of January. The task is a gigantic one, but with the resources of the Govern-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.