Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-18
THE DUTCH IN JAVA
How Thirty Thousand Manage to
Rule Twenty-Five Million.
RESPECT THE NATIVE TRADITIONS
Using the Greatest Tact in Ham
ding Every Problem.
SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT

ur.us!JteJ 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
frapress 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
Iuied with admirable tenacity this vast
colonial empire of the Indian ocean, which
contains 25.0oI.0o0 inhabitants, embracing
Islands as large as France, islands in whose
interior England would be only an is1et lost
In a sea of forests.
How have they maintained themselves IN
the archipelago? How do 10000 Dutchmen
peaceably govern 100000 Javanese, 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 eXerci.es supreme control over the dlf-
fereni branches of general ADMINISTRATORS
he makes ordinances on all matters not
regulated by law or by royal decree; he de-
Clarts war, concludes peace and makes
treaties with the native princes; he APP
points to civil and military offices; he eX-
erciSes the power OF pardon, and no sem
tence of capital punishment can be ex-
ecuted without his authority. Protection
Of the natives is one of his most important
duties: he takes care that no grant of land
does injury 10 their rights, and subjects
the government farms to the limitation Of
administrative regulations; ne regulates the
ma ure and extent of the labor contrl-
buttons. and looks after the execution OF
the ordinances relating thereto. He can
Danish foreigners who disturb the public
peace. In word. the representative OF
The king is invested with complete power
in the Indian empire he is alnCst king,
in The most absolute sense of the word
By his side. or rather below him, there
is indeed. council of the Indies, sitting
with him president, and composed of
vice president and four members; but 1t Is
only a body for consultation. whose advice
h. takes. without being obliged to follow it.
TuentH-Two Governors.
The Island of Java i divided into twenty
two provinces at the head of which are
placed European officials. who are as ON
nipot-nt in their province as the governor
general in the colony. But just as the
heads Of the departments only have the
title of director so those governors, or pre-
fects. IF the provinces are modestly called
residents, and their provinces, containing
million souls on an average, are called resi-
tTrncps. The resident, appointed ny the gov
crnOr general. is the representative of the
government in his province; under this utle
he i the chief Of the civil administration.
Of the finances. Of justice. of police, and
he has the right to carry the porong or
golden parasOl. which in the eyes of Java
uese S--nbolzes the supreme rank. He Is
assisted by subresidents, who have the title
of assistant residents. and these in their
Iuru have under their orders controllers,
who watch over the execution of the regu-
lations relating 20 the natives visit periodi-
cally the privileges in their district, listen
to complaints, supervise the government
plantations. and are. as it were. the hand
which unites the native administration to
the European
Java is administered by a hierarchy of
officials which constitute d select body.
Trained at the College of Delft or at the
University of Lcyden, which are the nur-
series Of the colonial Administered tors des-
tined for the civil service, they have all
passed. either in Holland or AT Batavia a
special examination the program of which
j. arranged by the minister for the colo
u-fs. This program varies according to the
duties for which the candidate is to be pre-
pJred. For the highest posts the grand
examination OF officials must be passed,
which deals with essentially technical af-
f.riTs, including chiefly the history, geogra-
ply and ethnOgraphy of the Dutch Indies,
the civil and religious laws, the political in
situations and customs of the nations the
Malay and Javanese languages. There are
Two examinations, at intervals generally OF
two years. the second embraces the same
subjects the first but more extended and
more thorough. The candidates for judicial
functions must be doctors of LAW, and in
addition have passed examinations in the
Malay and Javanese languages. the Mus
Sulman 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. af-
ter consultation with the government in
Java. announces i'll the official journal the
number Of candidates. administrative or
Judicial to be placed at the disposition of
the governor general. The examination
Tank determines the selection. The candt-
dates selected, besides nrst-claSs passage.
are entitled To an allowance for their equip
mrut, and on their arrival at the colony
they receive q provisional salary pending
their definite appointment for they are not
Immediately given an important position,
tUt must serve an apprenticeship under a
controller or an assistant resident who mi
ilttrS them INTO the practice of colonial af-
fairs. The salaries of the civil officials are
med by the king or by the governor gen
'raL These salaries are al least three
TIMES as much as they would receive in Eu-
rope In similar situations and a pension is
Civen on retirement. The governors of
provinces receive $500. the residents.
$-'.'sb u 5000. the controllers 81 600: even
modest justice Of the peace is We'll paid
In the large cities of the colony, Batavia
or S"grdbaya. Il good lawyer has an income
q. at last S-o''F, 1t IS plain that the corps
"i oihc1ais which presideS over the desti-
HieN Of Java is wisely organized carefully
recruited and well paid; it constitutes the
elite OF the mother country BY critical seIec
fi'a- II is. perhaps, the most perfect colo
MAI personnel In the world.
hc mechanism of the Dutch colonial svs-
lem in Java skilifuiiy COnceais th. real mo
tors OF the machine under the rnachinary
ug pure parade. by leaving to the native
princes the illusion Of power and by con-
crsliUg the action of the European direc
tors Each residence includes one or more
reG"Ucies, and by the side Of the resident
tEere Is one or more regents. While the
resident is always a European official. the
regent Il always a native official belonging
lp the highest families and often even of
Frincely birth. according TO the Importance
IT his rank he has the title of Raden Adj
pau OF Mas Toemenggoeng or Pangeran
tprinCeI.
Elder Brother OF the Regent
The natives are subject to the regent.
tneir natural chief; as To the resident. the
real possesSOr Of power. he acts only
through the regent; but to conceal his au-
thority he appears 20 the eyes of the ma
lives as the elder brother Of the regent
aud It Is in form OF ''reconmeudatious''
that ne gives orders 10 his brother This
formula which would be resa r,ied as cont
inonplace with US. has an important mean