INDIAN FAMINES - Institute for Social and Economic Change

AND PRESS ORITICISM. 177
to the assertion that they are heedless of the
"useless gear."
"This correspondent has been un favourably
attacked by critics elsewhere; and in his letter
of 20th April, he partly replies to them. Not;..
withstanding the exceptions he there takes to
the criticism, I cannot altogether acquit him
from the charge of sensational writing. The
very illustrations which he in this letter adduces
in proof of what he might have done,
seems to me but to make things worse. And
his la.c;t sentence tends to confirm the opinion
before alluded to - viz., that a considerable
amount of padding is required for our daily
press.
I will conclude this subject of press criticism
on the administrative ma~agement of the
present famine by quoting from-and recommending
to all-an article in the • Pall Mall,'
28th March 1874: "But it would have been
as unfair and as disastrous for the English
newspapers to dictate, under severe threats, to
Sir Garnet W olseley as to the operations required
for his campaign, as it is to menace the
Indian officials on points of detail connected