In 
 
 petite fe bee RP mae AIR 
 
 No. 477. 
 Jubbulpore, 6th Sept., 1897. 
 TE Rey. Dr. T. 8S. JOHNSON, 
 
 Dpar Sir,—I am desired by our Com- 
 mittee to convey to you, and through 
 you, to the American people our sincere 
 thanks for the large consignment! of 
 American corn,—maize, rye, and beans— 
 they have sent for the famine-stricken 
 in these parts. This arrived most oppor- 
 tunely to serve as food-graip, and help 
 maintain the poor for the next two 
 months, until our present crops become 
 available. The distress has been most 
 acute as you are aware, and but for the 
 liberality of Europe and America the 
 lives of thousands must have been lost. 
 The relief we have been able to give from 
 the funds so bountifully contributed has 
 been gratefully appreciated, and on behalf 
 of these poor we tender America our best 
 thanks. 
 
 I am Dear Sir, 
 Yours faithfully, 
 P. CULLEN, M.D., 
 Hony. Secy. I. F. C. R. Fund, 
 Jubbulpore District. 
 
 Drak Dr. Jaunson,—Please find a 
 short memo enclosed written by me for 
 Mr, James on the distribution of the 
 American grain. 
 
 Sincerary yours, 
 Jubbulpore, B. ROBERTSON, 
 
 28-10-97. Deputy Commissioner, 
 
 Copy of a demi-ofiicial note dated 25th 
 October, 1897, from the Deputy Commis- 
 sioner Jubbulpore to the Vice-Chairman 
 Central Executive Committee, Indiav 
 Famine Charitable Relief Fund, Calcutta. 
 
 When it was known that grain was ex- 
 pected from America for distribution in 
 famine districts, the Reverend Dr. John- 
 son of Jubbulpore was kind enough to 
 say that he would usa his endeavours 
 to procure a supply fur this district. He 
 asked me to let him know the railway 
 stations to which it should be sent. [ 
 accordingly instructed him that grain 
 might be sent in certain stated proportions 
 +o Kutni, Sleemnabad Road, Sehora Road, 
 and Jubbulpore Stations on the Hast In- 
 dian Railway. 
 
 About the middle xf August I was in- 
 formed that a large consignment was 
 being despatched as arranged. The first 
 to arrive was the consignment for Kutni, 
 which came about August 20th. Informa- 
 tion of its arrival was at once wired to 
 me, and ] went to Kutni to arrange for 
 its distribution. 
 
 By this time the Famine in the adjoin- 
 ing district) of Mandla had developed in 
 @ serious manner, and the Commissioner 
 of the Jubbulpore Division pressed me 
 to spare some ofthe grain intended for 
 my district, so that it might be available 
 for Mandla, I therefore arranged to send 
 one truck of the Kutni grain direct to 
 Jubbulpore, so that the Mandla district 
 might receive this as an advance consign- 
 ment. A further supply would be sent 
 
 | 
 
 ee 
 
 Fn Eo te 
 
 to Mandla from the 
 ment. 
 
 Jubbulpore consign- 
 
 ¥ “ # 
 
 Two trucks were sent to Rupond station 
 on the Bengal-Nagpore Railway to be 
 distributed by the Circle Relief Officer of 
 Barwara. One truck was made over to 
 the Church Missionary Society at Kutni 
 for distribution amongst the poor of the 
 town. The remainder was given out in 
 doles among the poorer classes of cultiva- 
 tors, particularly aborigines and low 
 castes. We had already lists of these 
 poor cultivators prepared for the pur- 
 poses of the Monsion House Fund. ‘The 
 amount of the latter was not sufficient to 
 adequately supply the cultivators with 
 food grain during the rains, when they 
 were ploughing their fields and tending 
 their crops, and the distribution of the 
 American grain therefore served a most 
 usefui object in to some extent supplying 
 this want. 
 
 The distribution was effected in every 
 case under the control of a Famine 
 Relief Officer, and I cao testify to the 
 work having been well carried out. ‘The 
 general plan adopted was first, to choose 
 a village where the inhabitants were abo- 
 rigines or were known to be specially 
 poor. The Mansion-House relief list of 
 the village was scrutinised, and the poor- 
 er tenants selected. A signed ticket was 
 then ‘given to the tenant for 20 or 80 seers, 
 or as the case might be, and he was told 
 to go to the Central Store where the 
 grain was kept, present his ticket and re- 
 ceive his dole. ‘Tickets of different colours 
 were issied for different quantities of 
 grain, so that, the illiterate people might 
 know the value of their tickets and get 
 supplied with the right amount. 
 
 This was the usual procedure, though 
 local officers occasionally departed from 
 it according to local circumstances. I may 
 add that the plan enabled distribution to 
 be done at very little cost. The cultiva- 
 tors were ready to walk long distances to 
 the Central Store to get their supply, 
 and as in the Rains almost the only means 
 of transport in this district is bv coolies, 
 the cultivators did the carrying them- 
 selves, and there was thus no extra cost 
 
 The consignments for Sleemanabad, 
 Sehora and Jubbulpore all arrived before 
 the end of August and distribution was 
 taken in hand at once. Of the Jubbul. 
 
 b 
 
 pare consignment ——-7a5) trucks were 
 given to the Mandla District, and the 
 American Mission kept —— 
 
 mt 1036@Mds, 
 over Zool Made, trucks to me for distribus 
 
 making 
 
 tion in the villages in the South of the 
 District. 
 * ¥ * * 
 
 In closing this nete, I would finally say 
 that the grain was thankfully received by 
 the cultivators. They were not quite sure 
 what to do with the beans, but I believe 
 the general impression was that they 
 
 dian Famine Qhavitavle Relief Fund. 
 
 should be ground and used ag “‘d4l” 
 (pulse-meal) which is eaten mixed with 
 rice). A desire was prevalent in some 
 places to keep back little of the rye, 
 which was considered 4 new kind of wheat, 
 and sow it. From this I dissuaded the 
 cultivators, as it would not grow properly 
 here. Mr. Marrivtt, one of the most ex- 
 perienced of my Relief Officers, has told 
 me that the people were keener about 
 the distribution of the grain than about 
 any other kind of relief. It was the form 
 of charity which appealed to them most, 
 and I can testify from my own experience 
 to the gratitude with which it was re- 
 ceived. 
 | 31-10-97, 
 
 Deak Dr. JoHNSON,—You will I am 
 sure be glad to see the enclosed Extract 
 from the diary of Mr. Sharp’s—Famine 
 Relief Officer Mandla. 
 
 Yours Sincerely, 
 J. B. FULLER, 
 Commissioner, 
 Jubbulpore Division. 
 
 Extract from the diary of Mr. Sharp, 
 Famine Relief Officer, Ramnagar and 
 Bichhia Circles in the Mandla district, 
 on fortnight ending J6th October, 1897. 
 
 AMERICAN GRaIN.—Owing to mis- 
 management on the part of the Postal 
 Department, orders on this subject reach- 
 ed me late. But, when once I got the 
 arrangement started, the distribution 
 proceeded with great rapidity. I have 
 provided Revenue Inspectors with 
 Cheque books, and have myself, in the 
 last fortnight, written Cheques for nearly 
 400 maunds. When I left Mandla, the 
 grain was going off fast at that Centre ; 
 at Ramnagar the stock was soon exhaust. 
 ed, and bearers of Cheques had to wait 
 till fresh boat loads came up the Nerbud- 
 da; at Bichhia I disposed of almost the 
 whole stock in two days, and have sent 
 for more. The people hail the grain 
 with delight, and are astounded at the 
 sizes of the maize and beans. The poorer 
 sort of cultivators, to whom it has been 
 given, are determined to reserve a little 
 for sowing, as they wish to see if such 
 fine grain can be produced here. Nor 
 was the grain circulated merely among 
 villages near the centres, [ have sent 
 hack tenants laden with it to Cholu 
 Aturia Ranjhipuri, the very limits of the 
 Circle, and it is a common Sight, even 
 In remote jungle, to see by the pathwa 
 a large Californian bean, or a grain oe 
 maize, which has fallen trom the basket 
 
 of some happy and homeward returning 
 cultivator, 
 
 * Of these 1 truck was given totheC. M.S 
 Mission Jubbulporeand 1 to the Wes- 
 leyan Mission, and 6 cart loads to the 
 
 Scotch Mission at Seoni (T.S.J.) 
 
 Printed at the Times Printing Press, Jubbulpore,