To the Editor of the Norru-Curva Datty News.
Sm,—Thanks to the generosity of many subscribers, but more particularly to the great help received through Mr. Drummond's Famine Fund, the Committee of the Newchwang Relief Fund are able to save the lives of thousands of starvelings, who must soon have succumbed to the dreadful Purpos want, which I fear has been the death of a great number of Chinese in Manchuria. The responsibility of disposing of the large sums entrusted to us, renders it necessary to supply the public with such information as will naturally be looked fur, and I take this opportunity, with the consent of the Committee, to give you a brief history of our Relief Fund.
When the Committe began its labours, on 2ist August 1888, the subscriptions were very small, only $75 being sent country in charge of Messrs. Turley an Farmer, In October Tls. 860 were obtained in Shanghai, and last month the Messrs. Bush Brothers, agents of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, were credited with Tis. "1,452, by tele rama) (the Governor of Hongkong's donation) and Tis, 10,000—the munificent grant of the '*Famine Fund." At the general meeting, the Committee appointed were:—Messrs. W. Holland, W. B. Russell, T. C, Fulton and H. E. Bush. Mr. Holland acted as Hon, Secretary and Treasurer until 25th February, when, finding the work became too much of a tax, he resigned in favour of Mr. Bush.
Enclosed I have the pleasure to hand you a list of subscriptions with account current, showing a balance of Tls. 8,121.27 which is now being distributed—Tls. 3,000 have been voted to Messrs. Fulton, Carson and Turley—Tls. 500 to the Rev. J. Webster—Ts. 500 to Pere Hinard at Cha-ling where it will be seen by the letter of 18th February which I enclose, the distress is very great. The southern gentry have also been offered Tls. 2,000 if they will undertake to give relief in accordance with the decision of the Committee—who are desirous to have the ce-operation of the Chinese, but must not lose sight of the districts where relief is most needed. The French Mission and the Sceursde la Ste. Providence, who protect some hundreds of young children, have received portions of the fund, the object of the Committee being to distribute the scriptions in the most impartial manner, and receiving the assurance of Monseigneur Raguit that there shall be no distinction, but that pagans and Christians shall be equally assisted. We feel sure that Messrs. Fulton, Carson, Wylie, Turley, West-water, Webster and Farmer have gone on the same principle. Tt would have been impossible indeed, to pick out the different creeds. Their work was confined to discriminating between the really poor and the professional beggars. They had no sinecure, for as one gentleman remarked, it was the hardest work he ever had, to say nothing of the roughing which can only be understood by those who have travelled in Manchuria during the winter, and have had to put up at inns with paper windows to guard against gales of wind and dust, with the thermometer 10 to 25 degrees below zero=42 " 47 of frost. All honour, therefore, to those who have helped the Committee in distributing the subscriptions entrusted to our care.
T hope to be able to add one or two reports of the labours and sums dispensed by some of the benevolent gentlemen above referred to. Meanwhile it may be observed that the actual feeding of the poor is not the only matter to be considered. Millet and othergrainsare excessively dear, andinsome neighbourhoods very scarce, and it has been necessary to provide stocks for future consumption. Then again where the cro} completely failed last summer, not only
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.