INDIAN FAMINES - Institute for Social and Economic Change

RECENT FAJfINES.
private liberality, his Honour believes, that in
an emergency of this kind the chief dependence
must be placed."
In contradiction to all this, a merchant firm
of Calcutta, having dealings with Orissa, urged
on Government in November the necessity of
importing and storing grain to meet the" famine."
But the Orissa Famine Commissioners, who, it
may be said, were sitting in judgment on the subject,
after viewing the whole course of events,
and writing with the fun knowledge of the dire
results, eXCUlpate the Government on this point,
and write that, It speaking of the proposal as a
whole, we do not think that the information
then possessed by Government would have justified
its acceptance."
Meanwhile the relief-works noted before as
having been authorised were taken in hand;
but a serious difficulty arose. An actual want
of food was experienced, and thus a "danger"
arose "likely to interfere materially with, if
not actually to put a stop to, the works."
Importation of food-grains, it was definitely
proposed, should be undertaken, in order that
the actual want - viz., food in exchange for