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: PORTLAND,
OREGON,
SUNDAY , HORNING, NOVEMBER 1. 1903
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in Famine Times
N JNDIA there is being enacted a
tragedy such as history has seldom
vAtnessed-a struggle unique in the
annals of all the nations of the world.
The opposite efccts of wealth and
poverty have never assumed such titanesque
proportions before, for with the enormous
increase of wealth there has developed a
corresponding degree df abject and pitiful
poverty. No nation has ever presented at
one time such contrasting pictures' of in
exhaustible, bewildering wealth side by
side with suchn extent of Itunan want,
disease, distress and misery.
In this country, where, the plague has
reaped a harvest of ,28,000,000 deaths
within 150 years, there are novo hoarded
in the most miserly fashion .riches esti
mated at $1,500,000,000. Year by year
the plague has taken its ghastly toll. The
famine of 1000 was worse than that of
iSq7, that of i8g7 worse than those of
i8Q2 or 1 889 or 1878. Yet each year the
hoarding of gold in India and the importa
tions have increased, until the absorption at
present is said to equal $55,000,000 a year.
' r There are palaces surpassing any in
the world for splendor, containing rooms
with carpets woven of gems and furniture
of silver and gold, set with diamonds, sap
phires and rubies, the owners of which wear
diamond mantles and cloaks hemmed with
priceless stones. Yet the common wage for
v
p.
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men is 4 cents a dayt women and children
j cents.
The poor are becoming poorer, 'yet, as
a French writer says, "the value of gold
imported into India during a period K qf
about sixty years, from 1837 to lSq8, ex
ceeded by nearly four billions of francs that
Of the gold exported."
IVMat, then, becomes of the vast
wealth of the world poured into the lap of
this, mysterious and miserable nation?
NE of the weakest pa,rt of the Brit
ish administration in India is the
failure of the Kovernment to nliat
:'- the' financial eonfifpniA nt k
people of that country," recently declared.-Sir
Ernest Cable, a former member of the viceroy
of India's cabinet and an ex-president of the
Bengal Chamber of-Commerce. .. ..
"It is common knowledge," he further says,
"that for years past India has been absorbing
gold and silver. The late Henry Dunning
Macleod said in his book on tho, Indian cur
rency that persons "of the highest authority esti
mated ' the hoards at three hundred million
pounds ($1,500,000,000) and one financial organ
saya that the hoarding averages $55,000,000
yearly." . ' M
To get this wealth into circulation, to put
it into railroads, irrigation work, and' the de-
? velopment of ' industrial . and commercial re
sources is the hardest task before the govern
ment. He adds: " V
, "Surely it is worth- while making an at-; -
tempt to utiliieieme at least of these dormant
resources for the benefit both of the people and
the country at large, Tbo tcsk may be a hard
jone, the difficulties may be well-nigh insuper
able, but success would be fruitful of advantages
both to India and the empire.
-'Tor years there has been muck talk about
the need forinducing the 6hy Indian capitalist
to briDg out his rupees. But no practical meas
ures have ever been taken, although "in the
meantime our railways are being starved for
want of capital, and industrial' enterprise is hav
ing hampered."
. From the silver bangles and coins the low-'
caste women wear in, their hair to the caves of
gold and gem's owned by the rajahs, this- wealtK
has accumulated uselessly and has been hoarded
jealously India is wuntrywitl greater
riches than Were dreamed of by Aladdin in the
underground rarden. v An investigation by a
Frenchman,' IX Arnould J- Boscowiti.vealed
amaiing conditions, 4 Speaking of these investi- v
gationsa; French writer said?
' ,1
"When it is considered that the absorption
of gold by India has gon on unceasingly for
half a dozen centuries, some idea .can be formed
of the colossal amount of the treasures. The
gold does not enter into monetary circulation;
it is not utilized in native goldsmith work. It
is lost to industry and to the world." . f
The enormous appetite of India ffr gold
can best be gauged when her annual 2l5sorption'
is compared to the world's output. ,It is esti
mated by the director of the United States ;Mint
that the world's production of ?old up to the
present time is about $6,000,000,000, of which, it
is said, India has absorbed nearly one-sixth.
India each year is said to absorb $55,000,000
worth of gold. This is more than half as much
gold as was produced in Rome, Greece. Phoe
nicia and other countries of anoient history.
India herself, up to the present time, has yielded
from her soil gold to the -mount of $130,000,
000. At present she absorbs each year more
than one-third of this' amount.
''THE" PRODUCING NATIONS
.Of all countf fes," the United States , pro
duced the most goldthe amount being esti
mated at $3,040.000,OCO an amount' little more
than twice the amount of India's miser hoard.
Australia has produced $2,720,000,000, and Rus
sia, with Siberia, ranking third, $1,500,000,000
an amount equaling the unused wealth' of the
lanofVf'the Vedas. :
- The world's production of the precious
metal in 1900 was $255,000,000, and', in 1907
$410fc000,000.- In 1873' the United Statea pro
duced $36,000,000, and in 1006 increased to $94,-
874,000.- . . . ; ,. ; ,'r
A 2a ancient Mimes individual : property : had '
no; protection ; in India,' for rival . dans fought
ever1 vast, tracts ot territorat looting . villages .
and stealing all they could obtain. Ruling
rajahs were also in tho habit of swooping
dojvn upon the poor and depriving them of all
their valuables.
This led to the custom, which now prevails,
of converting wealth into bangles, gems and
coins and storing it away. The poor do not
use the banks, yet many have silver and gold
hidden away in their miserable homes, which,
sometimes, when driven by the necessity of
famine, they reluctantly bring out.
. Rajahs have become insatiable hoarders
of treasure. From Mexico for a generation
they have taken a continuous stream of gold
and t not only gold, but gems. Into India
the steady streams pour; the rajahsy tinder
the heel of 'Britain, are building up a fabu
lous wealth which even appals their masters.
One instance is typical. After bowing to
the British yoke and receiving an annuity,
the rajah of Sindhi demanded tho restoration
to him of tho fortress of Gualior. A dilapi
dated fortress of no importance, it was finally
granted the rajah after a long and persistent
appeal. Then the government learned why ho
wanted it. Before the subjugation he had con
cealed, in a rock forming the foundation gold
coin to the amount of many millions of dollars.
A TRAGIC CONTRAST
To consider the wealth of 'India on one
hand, the splendid palaces of the rulers, and
poverty almos inconceivable to the occidental
mind on the other, one is struck by the tragic
side of the country's predicament. And a
tragedy it is, with the most striking 6tage set
tings and hideous contrasts ever presented
upon the stage of a nation.
In that country, where caste prevents am-1
bition or progress on the part of the people,
'there is a population of 290,000,000 and of this
number 130,000,000 exist in a state of long-endured
semi-starvation," fretting and aching
away their lives uhtil the merciful plague ends
their years of want. Poverty and filth are the
chief causes of the plague, which-attacks a per
son where he is weakest and the half -starved '
natives easily fall victims..
Periodically, too, the world is called upon
to aid India in its struggles with devastating
famine. The famines of India are proverbially
severe and sweeping.
One of the most' famous palaces is that of
Sayaji Roo, rajah, or gaekwar, of Baroda, who
visited the United States a year or,ao ago. ; The "
luxury , of this marvel .of architecture ia be- ?
wildering. ;Tie throne, room can accommodate'
1000; persons. So gorgeous is the palace that it -;
called' Lakatimi "Vilas "abode-f . the god-,""
doss of fortune;" In this building js the fa
mous, carpet of diamonds, rubies and seed pearls V.
tplendidly designed fabric valued tr $4,000,-'
- or er rrcwrssy rr7ir
.
In the audience chamber ere twelve chan- .
deliers, each one big'enough to fill an ordinary'
ballroom. Rare tapestries decorated with gems
move listlessly a scented breezes are wafted
along to the mystical sound of "astral bells."
Onyxes and marbles adorn the long corridors.
From all parts of the world the rajah im
ports gems and objects of art; nearly each day
sees an addition to his priceless collection. And
like his brother rulers, none of his wealth goes
into banks or commercial investments. His
princely income of $6,000,000 a year is -converted
largely into precious stdnes,
And to see the rajah in the throne room
arrayed in his crown jewels, valued at $20,000,
000. with 4he hitt light from the twelve
cyclopean chandeliers pouring upon him, a glit
tering, iridescent figure of majestic splendorl
Imagine him wearing a' cape of diamonds, fall
ing from neck to shoulders, fringed with emer
alds the size of pears! And there, too, is the
"Star of the South," a pendant gem that glows
like electric flame, one of the biggest diamonds
in the world. - '
Or see him in his "howdah" on elephant
back, a thing incrusted with gems costing
$1,000,000! "
The gems of the rajah and his wife are
valued at $40,000,000. Their thrones, foot
stools, elephant trappings, umbrellas, fans are
all delicately chased gold, set with gems. F.or
years visitors have gazed curiously at a battery,
of gold cannon in the courtyard.
MELTED DOWN GOLD GUNS
Recently, however, the rajah ordered these,
cannon melted down. The splendid but useless
pieces of armament were invariably used in all.
state processions, being drawn by white . oxen
covered with cloth woven of silver and capari- j
soned with gold. - '
Natives, regarding them as sacred, were
wont to place offerings of rice, fruits and 'flowers
pon them. The guns, which were made by the
order of a former gaekwar, cost $500,000. The ,
were made to outshine a neighboring" rajah who
had a battery of silver. . . ' ; . j
Many other rajahs are enormously; wealthy
and own vast quantities of -rare gems, which
they guard zealously as grim -famine stalks
through the land, sweeping away .the miserable
natives like flies perishing in a blast of cold.
Uany of the Empress Eugenie's jewels have
been acquired - by the maharajah of Patoiala. .
"When she was in great financial distress she sent
the famous Sancy diamond to India, where it
was quickly purchased by the wealthy ruler. A'
writer, describing his gems, has written:
"Trays of great emerald rings, stepcut, ea
bochon.tallowdrop, some of enormous size carved
deep with Arabic inscriptions and names of for- ,
gotten princesses. Trays of pigeon-blood rubies ;
necklaces of tiny gems that lie row after tow like
serpents of living light. A jeweled litter set ,
with Seed pearls; a whole carpet of. pearls mar
velous Jeypore enamels, the flower of the jewel-
er's art; unset stones in old. boxes and cans;
heaps of pearls into which one may thrust one's
arm to the shoulder." ,
. ? CUP' OF EMERALD,
A cup cut of a single emerald is owned by
the maharajah pf IJlwur. ,t - "
When he appeared at Queen Victoria's first
jubilee ball the Maharajah Holkar wore a choga
covered with emeralds and sapphires.;
India! Wonderful land! "Temples covered
with roofs of gold," writes Russell; "gold'
chariots drawn by bullocks with gold-tipped
horns and gold-shod feet;-great services of solid
goldin bowls and platters, belong to every king
and every temple." r :
One of the most frightful famines began in
the Punjab, . Rajputana, the Central Provinces
and Bohibay in 1900. : During one month the
government relieved 6,200,000 persons. Then the
resources gave out and England came to th ,
relief of the sufferers - with a subscription of
$2,500,000. The -United, States sent 320,003
bushels of .grain.' . ; V
,. -.r The frightful tqHof death, it is estimate I, .
reached, into millions.' Only estimates for tLa
. ;1 ' r 'f '.(CONTINUED OH INSIDE ThGZ)
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