Evening star., 1900-05-26
HINTS FROM JAVA
Many Well-Paid Native officials
Strengthen Dutch Power.
POLYGAMY AND SLAVERY
Practical Protection of Javanese
Against Chinese Competition.
N ATIV ES AS SOLDIER r S
Editorial Correspondence of The Evening Starr .

Editorial Correspondence Of The Evening Star.) I
II.
Further questioning at the Batavia resi-
dency disclosed other evidences Of thought
full and considerate treatment of the natives
by the Dutch under the policy which now
prevails.
The government Of Java employs natives
as far as possible in the official positions
which come into immediate contact With the
native population Every province Is di-
vided into regencies, with native regent In
nominal charge who receives monthly
salary of from 1000 to 1900 guilders or
$400 to $3.50. The real governor Of the
regency is the Dutch resident, who repre-
sents in 1t the governor general. Every
regency is divided into districts, over each
of which a native wedana presides at
monthly salary of from 200 to $50 guilders,
or from $50 to 500. Assistant wedanas
have charge of subdistricts at monthly
salary from 100 to 100 guilders, or from $40
to 500
The small annual land tax or rent paid by
the Javanese for the government land
leased out to them for cultivation is re-
ceived by a native collector called a lurah
Ga government Officially and turned over by
him to the wedana, the native chief of the
district 1t often occurs that the cultivator
pays his annual land tax by giving the
lurah certain proportion Of the produce.
This official turns the goods thus rendered
into cash. paying the wedana the annual
land tax.
The extent to which the natives are uti.-
lied by the Dutch in subordinate positions
is to be noted; also the liberal compensa-
ton made for the services rendered, and
the good policy of thus reducing friction
by entrusting to natives unpopular tasks,
like collecting taxes from their own people.
The regents and we1anas are men of stand
ing and influence in the community. and
through them the Dutch exercise unlimited
control over the natives The Spanish in
IuZon destroyed the petty native rulers
and substituted in their stead Spains rule.
They also, under the Maura municipal gov
ernment law of 1885,, utilized the natives in
many of the same functions entrusted to
them by the Dutch. But while the latter
with these Offices conferred high honor and
a salary the Spanish imposed unpaid and
obligatory positions upon unwilling recip-
tents, many Of whom were financially
ruined through holding an Office which they
could not safely refuse. This small differ
ence of detail caused the Spanish policy in
this matter to increase the natives detesta-
ton of his. rulers, while the policy of the
Dutch wonderfully strengthens their hold
upon the Javanese.
Ol.samy and slavery.
The Javanese are norlinally all Mahome-
tans. Poiygany has always prevailed
among them, but outside of Djokja and Solo
there are few polyganlsts. except among
the very rich. The luxury is too expensive.
There is no challenge to arouse their fanat-
if..r, Oh
by the Dutch government, which leaves
their religion and everything which in any
shape is connected with it severely alone
The same kind of slavery prevailed in
Java as now exists in the southern Philip
pines, until abolished by edict shortly before
our civil war. Compensation was provided
to the owners of the cmancipated slaves in
the following amounts expressed in guild
ers, guider being about 40 cents:
Slave under ten. 30 to 12u guilders: be-
tween ten and twenty. 1Oo to go guilders;
between twenty and thirty $50 TO $50 guild
ers; between thirty and forty, 125 to 800
guilders; between forty and fifty, 100 to 200
guilders; above fifty. 30 to 100 guilders
But such limiting and restricting condi-
tions were attached that very little money
was paid for this compensation. For in
stance, a registration of slaves had been
ordered: but a great part had not been
registered. The government would only pay
for slaves registered, and would not pay for
those suffering from any permanent dis
ease (as leprosy), nor for escaped slaves
longer than three months after date of the
edict, nor for slaves condemned to forced
work (convicts). nor for slaves on which
on January l, 1850, taxes had not been paid
for four years
In most cases, while the edct nominally
freed the slave. the latter continued to the
end of his days in practically the same
relation of feudal servitude to his master
But with the growth of the new generation
the law gradually became operative and
slavery was ended.
Javanese Are Prosperous and Content
The Dutch now show in every way the
greatest consideration for the natives old
customs and traditions. The people are as
q rule, satisfied, contented, easily managed.
The last revolt in the island was in middle
Java between 1925 and 1890 There has
since been small insurrection, of little
Importance.
II will add that the later insurrection re-
ferred to was in the district of Bantam in
west Java, in July. 1885 1t was headed by
q Javanese priest (hadjD. and some 800 ma
tives rose against the Dutch in that district
At one place the assistant resident. his wife
and children. with some eight other Euro
peans were murdered. This insurrection
was soon quelled by the government. and
the ringleaders, with about hundred of
their followers. were shot. American Vice
Consul Rairden, who is serving capably as
consul in the absence sick leave of Mr.
Everett, was living ten miles from the
place where the insurrection occurred. and
was warned by a friendly native to leave.
He escaped to a sailing vessel with his wife
and child. and they lived in this vessel for
three days until the trouble was over. Mr..
Rairten, who has been a resident Of Java
for great many years, considers the Jaw
anese a contented. happy and prosperous
people. although this cannot be said of the
people OF Sumatra and Borneo, who are al
ways in petty wars with the government
In Sumatra the Dutch have been at war
with the Achinese for some twenty-five
years and seem to be no nearer the end
than they were year after the war began |
Javanese Dutch Soldiers.
The natives are utilized largely In the
I