Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-30
Wise Handling of the Public Land in
the British Island.
CIhGHALESB AND TAMIL LABOR
Developed Luzon Can Equal Java
or CeyIon in Productiyeness.
WEALTH OF PHILIPPINES

| Nv.
Ceylon lies approximately between and
. degrees north Of the equator: Java be-
| tween and . degrees south of the equator.
| The wet and dry seasons in the two islands
| do not coincide. though both claim to be
| always wet. if sometimes wetter Ceylon,
| however in March. when visited it, was
| suffering prolonged drought in its hottest
month. during the interval between the
| two monsoons which bring it rain, and
| failed to display the overfiowing richness
| of tropical vegetation which was in evil
| dence in Java during the rainy season in
| February. The plantation and labor exhibits
| of the island seem on a smaller scale than
| those of Java, which is twice the size of
| Ceylon and has eight times its population.
| With these limitations the effect produced
! upon the observer by Ceylon is similar to
| that which has been noted in the case of
| Java. Both islands are beautiful tropical
| gardens, cultivated to the highest degree,
| and displaying intense human industry di-
| rected by the kecnest intelligence.
| Colombo. the seaport and metropolis. with
its excellent hotels, fine drives and attrac-
tive shops, corresponds to Batavia. Handy.
| hidden in tropical foliage. seventy-five miles
| away. in the hills. beautifully and health
| fully located represents Buitenzorg. Even
| the counterpart of the latter's famous
| botanical gardens is found at Peradenya,
| near Handy. In mountain sanitariums
| there is Nuwera Elya in Ceylon to offset
| Sindanglaya and Tosari in Java. The ruins
of the ancient Buddhist city of Anuradha-
| pura in Ceylon tell the same story of an
| ancient and superior civilization once flour
| ishng in that island which Is proclaimed
| concerning Java by Boro- Boedor and Bram-
banan. The mountain and valley scenery
| nd he ION, ba trt,>
| from Colombo to Nuwera Elya are to be
| compared with those observed In Java.
| Terraced rice fields, extensive tea planta-
| tionS. a small showing of coffee. bananas,
| palms and bamboo conspicuous in the
vegetation of both islands, and even the
| same peculiar red earth is to be seen.
Cey!on, with its rubies. sapphres. anne
| thysts and other precious stones, its ele-
plants, its cinnamon and other spices. is be-
| lived to be the Ophir of the ancients and
| the same extravagant eulogies upon its at
/ fractions have been applied to 1t as 1 have
quoted from the Englishman Alfred Russell
Wallace concerning Java. NJ. NJ. Ballou.
| an American, prints of Ceylon that it is
''one of the most beautiful regions in the
world" 1.-The Very gem of the equatorial
region" "a very Gan-Eden, the fairest
| known example Of tropical luXuriance in all
| its natural features. its vegetable and ami
NAL kingdoms, its fruits, flowers and seem
cry
LuzOn Not to Be Left Behind.
| Luzon is not to be left behind in this dis
tribution of superlatives. Ramon Lala
sounds the praises of that island and the
Philippines generally in a manner which
shows that they are worthy to be COM
pared with the other insuar gardens, and
which leaves nothing in the way of eulogy
to be desired. He says: Earth possesses
no scenes more beautiful than those to be
found in this verdant and blooming ar
chipela go-from its northern to its southern
verge this magnificent rosary of glowing
islands that nature has hung above the
heaving bosom of the warm Pacific OF
them all none is more beautiful than Lu-
zon. the largest and richest of the whole,
with its vast variety of attractive scenery,
mountain and plain, lake and stream, every
| where rich with glossy LEAKAGE. clustered
growths of bamboo and palm, fields of yell
low cane and verdant coffee groves.
Here an abundant rainfall, an equahle cli-
mate, a rich soil and the warm influences
of the equatorial waters, combine to yield
a Iuxuriant beauty and variety of scenery"
In 1878 the native king of Handy was
overthrown by the British, and Cinghalese
independence was extingushed. Title TO
the soil, previously in the native sovereign.
passed to the British government The
island has been governed as a crown colony,
which is described as "a despotism tenn
pered by the colonial office and question day
in the house of commons" Voicing public
opinion feebly in the machinery of govern
ment Is the legislative council of seventeen
members nine of whom are oficeholders,
and eight unofficial members of whom three
are Englishmcn and five are Cinghalese,
Tamil, Moormen and Eurasfan.
Land Tenure in Ceylon.
The British government adopted, after
an experimental interval, an entirely differ
ent policy in handling the soil of the island
from that pursued by the Dutch in Java
and in Ceylon. Instead of leasing land or
giving annual possession and participating
with the cutivator in division OF crops, the
government, when it parted with tho land.
sold in fee simple, and its responsibility
ceased. Compulsory labor was abolished i'll
1872 and the cinnamon monopoly in 1892.
Until 1923 the government gave title to
planters who would cultivate the soil. Since
that year price gradually increasing has
been charged
Total area of Ceylon. $500, $50 acres.
Crown land sold between 1893 and 1896,
1.471.272 acres.
Areas disposed of to private parties by
grants, sales. etc. prior to 1888. 2.5O0,OOO
acres approximately.
Roughly, therefore, private lands are
nearly four million acres or about one
fourth Of the island. OF the remaining
three-fourths the greater part belongs to
the crown uncultivated ground.
1t is estimated that about 100000 acres Of
land (say 100000 suitable for hill-country
products tea, cinchona, coffee, etc, and
pasturage, and 100000 lower down for tea,
cocoa as well as cocoanuts and cinnamon)
are held by European planters. against
nearly three times this aggregate held by
natives.
1t is estimated that the total area of the
island which may be cultivated is from five
to five and one-half million acres, of which
from two and half to three and a half
million acres according to varying esti-
mates) are under cultivation. Thus there
are approximately two million acres of
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