To the Eilitor of the Noxru-Cursa Dany News, Si,—Your leader to-day on the duty of the Chinese authorities to provide employ ment for those who are suffering, in one place by famine and in another by flood, will meet with a hearty response in the mind of every thoughtful man. It at once secures the benefit of the country and the morule of the people, and J thin it right to bear my testimony both as to the need, and the practicability of the measures you advocate, T have visited the district in which Dr. Nevius and his colleagues are working, and also that in which the English missionaries are engaged; and can speak of the great distress not only from the public papers but from private sources. I also know how usefully the thousands of destitute people might be employed. As you point out the rads in that Province, as well as elsewhere are in the most wretched condition possible to be reads at all. mally Well planned, broad, and direct—many with signal towers, station-houses, &e, &e—they are at present utterly neglected her a puddle, in dry weather—strenms without bridges and bridges without streams; at one place aniing your cart through' several feet of wud and at other places your cart tossing bout over rocks like an india rubber ball, Here there is a means by which the Mandarins could utilise the people at their own ors and to the pernianent advantage of all. As you say these places are frost-Dound just now, but they should have been attended tu whenever the wheat crops were sown and the people free for such work. At present they could be em ployed in preparing stone and other materials for use in the middle of February when the season changes.
Not only in Shantung, but in Kiang:
and Anhui, canals, embankments, bridges, and other, public works are all in gen, need of repair, Why, [have not visited neck or corer in any part of this great empire where roads, canals or public worke do not stand in clamant need and would afford abundant and profitable employment for all the surplus or distressed population, While we therefore do what we can to meet the present distress, it is also well to take measures which may prevent or modi future occurrences; for good roads woul immensely alleviate the evil of famine.
stories are coming down to us of the heartless and cruel treatment of companies of these poor people at the hands of the imandarins—which may perhaps see light unless the treatment be remedied, "The great bulk of the distressed districts in Shantang is under the jurisdiction of Sheng Taotai who is well known in Shanghai in connection with the Telegraphs and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.