Following the analogy of the Cuinese terms we are in the habit of di ishing between Relief Distribution (Ji Be, Fang-chen) and Relief Works ie L Chin-Jung), The former refers to a free distribution after a systematic enrolment of the needy; the latter implies the employment of the people upon public works, such river embankments, roads, village walls, and bridges. Heretofore, practically, all relief conducted by foreigners in Shantung has been a direct and unconditional distribution, according to the first method above defined. Our chief apostle of relief works is the Rev. S. B.D ho made his first experiment along this line ten years ago, and has during the present famine worked exclusively in this way, having already completed tilty 4 (16 miles) of dykes along a troublesome stream, the draining of square mile of submerged Jands, two miles of raised roadway across boggy reaches, besides the reconstruction of several bridges and an earth-dyke around the city of Kaoyuan, to protect the crumbling walls against another flood. In these ways 'Mr. Drake has employed a total of 7,860 men, affording each man from 5 to 10 days' work at wages sufficient for his own daily food and for one or two members of his family. This work has been confined to the districts (sion) of Kaosuan and Hsinchéng. Adjacent to these districts on the north-east is Pohsinghsien, where similar relief works have been carried on by Mr. R. C. Forsyth of the Foreign Relief Commi The writer has undertaken to finish the contracts already begun by Mr. Forsyth, with the addition of some other new work, and so feels in a position to describe what has been done without blowing his horn. The relief works already accomplished in this Asien under foreign supervision include a continuation of dyke repairs on same stream for 60 fi (20 miles), five ages and three protective dykes around villages, besides work on roads and minor repairs. This work has given employment reserves the right of deciding what and how to over 1,000 men for five days each. This touch of the work thus recommended shall method of employing labour instead of re-be undertaken, and insists upon an inspec-lieving the distress by charity has its tion of the completed contracts before paying tions. Where the need is widespread over the full amount promised, Themen are and immediately urgent the old way is the hired systematically from the villages con-only practicable one. Both methods have tinuous to the work in hand, according to been and are being used here on the Yellow ists of applicants furnished by the village River plains tour of tity miles through headmen. The amount of wages offered is the flood-swept area, just completed by the freely advertised so that the workmen may writer in conn with the relief work, protect themselves against squeezing. The has afforded a glimpse of the incalculable cee won ple wie ie: fies ime damage to property, public and private, over relief in spite of the growing anti-foreign the 3,000 square miles inundated by the spirit in this province, The magistrates unprecedented floods of last year. This area of two out of the three districts where includes only the country affected on the the work has been done have already south-east side of the Yellow River; a tract formally thanked the missionary in charge nearly as large suffered severely on the of the relief. The advantages to the people north-west side. are the tangible and useful results in public Village walls are melted away; bridges improvements for which they would in any gone on every hand, making the or-event be called upon to expend money, and, huarily slow travel all the more tedious incidentally, they preserve their self-respect from necessary detours; deep gullies are from having earned the money they receive. gouged out of the fertile lands and, to atone 25th May. for this, much waste land has suddenly become valuable from the rich deposits of silt.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.