Evening star., 1900-05-25
BON r1ARCF1E, 314=316=318 9th.


Plantations anu safoehs' i.s pieoe' ~
t1resque uarh-sAiI heo hiiiii'n"' anu Ae
heaven OF oofIliaa.ihs Du''n",ei' ~
lts modern oeVelophehl anu ei'ii'Ao'i"t
with 1ull security 10 hle aho IVY ae
due
So far as my observations 60 am reaos
to coincide with the conclusions ol Ahrso
Russel wallace. the Engisn sclentlse' "ho
visited Java more than tnlrty years ago.
and who says: Il beleVe, tnerefore' ''ial
Java may fairly claim TO De the iihesl
tropical island in the world, ana eqhaiiy III
teresting to the tourist seeking new anu
beautiful scenes, to the naturalist VINO de-
sires to examine the variety and beauty OF
tropical nature; or to the moraiist and poll
tician who want to solve the problem OF
how man may best be governed under ne"
and varied conditions.
The Dutch Land System in Java.
While in Batavia l had an interesting talk
with the Dutch resident Cor governor) Of
Batavia, Jan Jacob Bischoff. and his secre-
tary A. G. Valetti English is spoken by
both officials by the secretary huently and
accurately and through him most of the
information concerning things Javanese
was secured
In response to a question concerning the
system of land tenures now prevailing in
Java 1 was told that when the Dutch came
to the island they found it divided up into
sultanates; that at the present time all OF
these sultanates and the Whole of the island
except the sultanates of Solo and Djokja
had come under the direct control OF the
Dutch government; that this government
had declared itself the owner of all the
ground in the provinces of which it had
possession; that in Solo and DjokJa. by
agreement with the descendants of the old
princes, the latter still retained nominal
control and nominal title to all the land,
similar TO That held by the Dutch govern
ment IN the rest OF the island; that the gov
ernment ana lana ownership OF the natlVe
princes in DJokJa ana SOLO are subject 10
the control OF the Dutch government
through i's representative tne flesloeht'
whose consent IS necessary even TO sale
Oh laho py the natlVe prince. and 1t was I'M
Piled that in substance and effect the Dutch
are as much IN cohtroi OF the land IN SOLO
and DJokJa as in other parts of the island
Javanese Dutch can buy from the govern
ment IN Zee simple any Kind of land. Ma
where large part OF the agricultural
81 si'1iiu - iesei 'eu ny Tue government lof
eiie iiaeises' especially ior rice planting.
Community Cultivation.
The lands in the different provinces thus
reserved for the people are distributed
communal basis each year, the ground
about each village to the inhabitants there
OF for individual use for the annual period.
native must live for fixed term of sew
eral years in village before he can par
ticipate In this assignment of it's communal
Land. The extent of ground occupied by
the individual depends to some extent upon
the relation of the area of the agricultural
crown lands surrounding the village to its
population. Only natives can participate
in this distribution. They are compelled to
cultivate the land; if they do not it is as
signed to Others The cultivator takes the
full crop and pays one-fifth In land tax to
the government in money. It is proposed
however To alter this svstem Of communal
possession with changes in individual occu
nation every wear To individual continuing
possession based on irrigation and other
improvements.
There is difference between agricultural
lands, including those thus reserved for
the natives, and land in the cities, of which
the government permits even fore.eners to
get possession.
The government also executes long leases
as for seyeuty-fiye wears. on navment of
annual ground rent and these leases de-
scend from father tn son rbara AFRO como
such renters AMONG tho cbinesa for tho
cultivation of coffee suear and indipo and
MANY among the Dutch
The natives are considered as the re.1
Inhabitants of tho corn+ry otbo- naon,o
oven tho nutob NOT bor, bara orc tra.tad
when thew first come to the island as
strangers All of Thorn inc,udine tho
butch must renort themselves and at first
pet narmission to live for civ ,non,bs on,v