The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-12
THE DUTCH IN JAVA.
HOW 10000 MANAGE TO RULE
25.OOO.OOO.

ment.
Translated from the Revue des Deux
'Mondes" for the Granite Monthly.
The Dutch do not fail to demand Of the
traveller returning from Java what most
impressed him in their magnificent colony.
There is a temptation to answer: Seeing
them there and seeing them remaining
there This little people. whose country Is
a mere point on the chart Of Europe, has
ruled with admirable tenacity this vast
colonial empire OF the Indian ocean, which
contains 25,0OO. 600 inhabitants, embracing
islands as large as France, islands in
whose interior England would be only an
islet lost in sea Of forests.
How have they maintained themselves
in the archipelago? How do 10000 Dutch
men peaceably govern 25,O0o,Ooo Jayanese,
who are satisfied with their lot? This is
the most marvellous thing in Java, and
is what interests US to examine.
The agent of the King has the title Of
governor general He is the chief Of the
land and sea forces Of the Dutch Indies;
he exercises supreme control over the diff
ferent branches OF general administration;
he makes ordinances on all matters not
regulated by law or by royal decree, he
declares war, concludes peace and makes
treaties with the native princes; he ap-
points 70 civil and military Offices; he ex-
ercises the power of pardon. and no SEN
teuce OF capital punishment can be- exc
cuted without his authority. Protection Of
the natives is one of mis- most important
duties; ne takes care that no grant Of land
does injury to their rights, and subjects
the government farms to the limitation of
administrative regulations he regulates
the nature and extent OF the labor coutri-
buttons, and looks after the execution OF
the ordinances relating thereto. He can
Danish foreigners who disturb the public
peace. In a word, the representative of
the King is invested with complete power:
in the Indian empire he is almost a King,
in the most absolute sense of the word.
By his side, or rather below him. there
IS, indeed. a council Of the Indies. sitting
with him as president, and composed of
a vice president and four members; but It
is only a body for consultation, whose
advice he takes, without being obliged
TO follow Il.
Twenty-Five Governors.
The island Of Java is divided into TWEEN
ty-two provinces, at the head of which
are placed European officials, who are as
in their province as the gov
ernor general in the colony But lust as
the heads of the departments only have
the title of director, so those governors
or projects, Of the provinces are modestly
called residents and their provinces con-
tanning million souls on an average. are
called residences. The resident, appointed
by the governor general is the represent
alive Of the government in his province;
under this title he is the chief of the civil
of the finances. of Justice.
Of police, and he has the right to carry the
porong or golden paraeol, which in the
eyes of Javanese symbohzes the supreme
rank. He is assisted by subresidents
who has the title of assistant residents.
and these In their turn have under their
orders controllers, who watch over the
execution Of the regulations relating to the
natices, visit periodically the privileges in
their district, listen 10 complaints. SUPER
wise the government plantations. and are.
as 1t were, the hand which unites the ma
tive administration to the European.
Java Is administered by a hierarchy of
officials which constitute a select body.
Trained at the College of Delft or at the
University of Legion, which are the uur-
series of the colonial administrators des-
tined for the civil service, they have all
passed. either in Holland or at Batavia. a
special examination the programme of
colonies. This programme varies accord
ing to the duties for which the candidate
Is to be prepared For the highest posts
the grand examination of officials" must
be passed, which deals with essentially
technical affairs, including chiefly the his
tory, geography and ethnography of the
Dutch Indies, the civil and religious laws
the political institutions and customs of
the nations, the Malay and Javanese Ian
guages. There are two examinations. at
generally of two years: the sec
ond embraces the same subjects as the
first, but more extended and more thor
ough. The candidates for judicial func-
tons must be doctors of law. and in addi-
ton have passed examinations in the Ma
lay and Javanese languages, the Mussul-
man law, and the customs of the Dutch
Indies. international law and the colonial
institutions Of the foreign possessions.
Salaries of officials.
The selection is made annually, under
the direction of the colonial minister, who.
after consultation with the government in
Java, announces in the official journal the
number of candidates, administrative or
judicial, to be placed al the disposition
OF the governor general The examination
rank determines the selection. The candi-
dates selected besides a frst-class passage
D
ment, and on their arrival at the colony
they receive a provisional salary, pending
their definite appointment: for they are
not Immediately given an important posi-
ton, but must serve an apprenticeship
under controller or an assistant resident.
who initiates them into the practice of CO.
ionial AFFAIRS. The salaries of the civil Of
fcials are fixed by the King or by the
governor general. These salaries are at
least three times as much as they would
receive in Europe in similar situations.
ard pension is given on retirement. The
governors of provinces receive 5000; the
residents, 5000 TO 5000; the controllers.
81 500; even a modest justice of the peace
is well paid. In the large cities OF the
colony, Batavia or Sourabaya a GOOD
lawyer has an income OF at least $4,000 It
Is plain that the corps of officials which
presides over the destinies of Java is
wisely organized, carefully recruited and
well paid; 1t constitutes the elite of the
mother country by critical selection. It
is, perhaps the most perfect colonial per-
sonnet IN the world.
The mechanism of the Dutch colonial
system In Java skillfully conceaIs the real
motors of the machine under the macb;n-
cry OF pure parade by leaving to the ma