The Penn's Grove record., 1883-11-24
Dutch Corporations.

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Everything was managed in Amstcr-
dam by corporations. The idea of the
sacredness of corporate rights and privi-
leges was firmly planted In the Dutch
mind. These numerous bodies were vir-
tually self-elected. An ollgarchy ruled in
each department, The character of their
government is seen In the way the East
India Company managed their POSSESSIONS
In the Eastern Archipelago. 10 secure
the monopoly of the spice trade they
caused all the Glove trees to be extIrpa-
ted, except in Amboyna, the seat of their
power, bribing the surrouning princes to
enter ate league with them to destroy
their subjects property. At one time
they gained the exclusive command of the
pepper trade. Pepper was Immediately
raised to 81 a pound, 100 per cent. higher
than the Portuguese prices. 1t is sup
posed that they made a profit of 800 per
cent. on this article alone. English set
tiers did not scruple to declare that in
1922 the Dutch authorities at Amboyna,
in their terror lest foreign intrigue should
GUST them out OF the nest they were rob-
bling, practIced fortunes worthy of Philip
II. and Alva. To prevent any criticism
from the Jealousy oil the other Dutch
ports, the East India Company distributed
their stock among the principal towns OF
The united provinces, in each OF which
was a handsomely paid board OF directors,
possessing a share of the patronage pro-
portloned To the stock they held. Am
sterdam kept the supreme direction, for
out of these subordinate chambers a board
of IL directors was chosen, who met TOR
six years at Amsterdam and two at Middle
turg. Thus all the leading capitalists in
Holland were directly concerned i'll the
company's affairs. Instead of enrichlng
their own country and the Asiatic world
by opening up a great Oriental trade, the
Dutch East India Company thought only
of getting the highest possible prices by
the exclusion of all competition. Their
immense warehouses at Amsterdam, their
imposing name, and the mystery ever at
tached to the East, led to an exaggerated
idea OF their Importance. They worked a
trade that could easily nave employed sew
eral millions with a capital of f542, 900.
In their most prosperous days, from 1914
to 1880, lhen number OF theI ships arriving
from India in the course OF the year did
not average more than IA. This style of
dong trade explains the excessively heavy
dues that the Amsterdam authorities N
pos I'd on every article OF traffic. IL Is as
serted that many things paid duty three or
four times over. Bread was taxed when
the corn came from the mill, and again
when the loaves anne from the oven.
There were .axes on butter, fish and
fruit. while the duties levied on meat,
salt, beer, wine and spirits was as high as
100 per cent. Rents paid a tax of % per
cent; In fact, there was scarcely anything
that escaped taxation except that which
depleted the country of its capitalize
speculatlons of ITS merchants in the public
funds of other nations. For, owing TO the
accommodations of capital and the way tax
atoms ate up profits, the Amsteldim mer-
chants put the greater part of their sur
plus capital into foreign stocks. 10 fact,
the difficulty of finding a advantageous
return for money In Holland Was so great
that Its capitalists preferred to lend vast
sums OF money to individuals III foreign
countries, both regularly as loans at inter
est and IN the shape of goods advanced at
long credit.