Oct. 14.
Frw foreigners carry in their minds' eye a clear impression of even a limited part of the map of China; and thus except amongst those directly concerned, not many people in all probability have realized the enormous extent of the damage done by typhoon and flood in the province of Chekiang. We read in an account of the operations of the Ningpo and Hangchow International Ivamine Relief Committees, that certain districts have been allotted to each of these headquarters, to prevent overlapping. It is only on turning to the map that we realize that the field for which Hangchow is responsible covers practically the whole of the north and West of the pro-ince, while that under Ningpo's care embraces all the east and south. During August and the first half of September three typhoons of unusual violence struck Chekiang at different" points and on the top of these, as described by our Wenchow correspondent yesterday,—protracted rains have destroyed much that had somehow escaped the wind. To-day another correspondent, writing from a little known district on the—sonthern side of Hangchow Bay, supplies a graphic touch. After the flood receded, the drift. straw left on the trees showed that the water had risen to a depth of twelve and fourteen feet over the rice fields. It intensifies the tragedy that, even up to the end of August in many parts of Ché- kiang, the rice crop had promised exceptionally well.
It is satisfactory to record that the most efficient possible organization has been formed at Hangchow and Ningpo to distribute relief, and, apart from what has been collected locally, the Chinese-Foreign Famine Relief Committee of Shanghai has given $200,000 from its reserves. A wise stipulation has been made to, the effect that local relief committees throughout the; ro-vince must come under one of the two headquarters, or inform them exactly of the districts for which they, the local institutions, will) be responsible. Without provision of this kind, confusion, overlapping and waste would he inevitable. It is also satisfactory, yet at the same time not without its pathos, to learn that the Yeading Chinese have been specially urgent in pressing for foreign assistance, not so much in contributions towards, as in distribution of, relief. There is no suggestion that money and food actually go astray. But it is openly admitted that family influence and connexion leads to favouritism in the distribution of rice, and that where there is no outside check the most deserving are liable to go short because they have no special claim on the local big man. We feel bound to mention this fact, because it constitutes a slur that the Chinese must wipe away. In actual fact, the allocation of relief throughout Chekiang appears to be so well organized and guarded, that the danger of any miscarriage is reduced to a minimum. Tt has to be emphasized, however, that what has been given hitherto is but a small part of what will be needed. The real pinch of famine has yet to be felt and the need of active relief will continue for several months. Not only have the autumn crops been ruined. In large districts 1it will be quite impossible to sow for those of next spring.
"It is timely to remind readers _that the prospects of a hard winter to be faced are very great, among others beside Chinese and quite apart from the rise in prices all round which such distress as that in Chekiang inevitably brings. Two months ago we alluded to the numbers of men put of work through no fault of their own, and nothing has since happened to decrease those numbers. The other day a correspondent complained that - when he wrote to apply for a position he might at least be vouchsafed a reply, even if it were a negative. The employers' position was put to the present writer about the same time as that if we answered all the letters we got asking for jobs, we should be doing little else."" We suggested in the article alluded to above that possibly the Council might be able to find room for some men as supervisors in the quantity of public work now going on, but this-apparently is not practicable. At least, however, something in the way of a refuge rather less derogatory and useless than the stone-breaking for bed and breakfast at the casual ward might be devised without great cost to public funds. The difficulty that must be conceded in asking assistance of the Council is that it is primarily an administrative body and that its international status compels it to be chary of philanthropic experiments. The needs of charity, in the end, fall back on the national societies and other private institutions. Such, at any rate, is the state of affairs to-day and. the system on which we have to rely during the coming winter. There can be no question but that "these institutions are doing splendid work practically wholly voluntary. Whether or not the system might not be improved, without loss of freedom to each society, whether it will not have to be improved, as Shanghai goes on growing, is another matter. At least for the present, it must be seen to that the societies are not hampered for want of support in the work they will have to do this winter.
Mr. Lo Hung-nien, former act-. ing Minister of Finance, has appointed director of the Shanghai Mint, assuming duties as from the ith instant. Mr. F. M. Sab;. the retiring director, has been given another post.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.