Evening star., 1901-08-31

|
! the native languages of Java, one Of which
| must be the Malay. There are four Ian
| guages spoken in Java, but the Malay is
| I'm common use everywhere. The hlgher
| officials and those who act as Judges OF
| any Of the courts must be able to speak
| three languages, and must also be gradu-
| ates in Dutch law. as well as thoroughly
posted on the native laws, customs and re-
| ligions of Java. The character of the clerks
is carefully looked after, and as rule
only gentlemen are chosen.
The Service in Java.
After graduation the would-be govern
ment clerk is sent out here on trial. He
must pass an examination for aspirant
controleur and if successful is assigned as
an assistant to a controleur or minor Off
cial of one of the provinces. He now re-
ceives about $50 a month and a house,
but he is as yet only on probation and he
must serve several years before he can be
examined for the position of controleur of
the second class. If he passes this ex-
animation he receives S12O a month and
later on gets to be controleur of the first
class. with a better house and higher sal
airy. If he proves his efficiency here he
possibly becomes an assistant resident and
then a resident, with a palace and $4,000
year.
The duties of the officials are by no
means light. The aspirant controleur goes
about with native officials to superintend
the roads, to collect the census, examine
the rice fields and other crops and to do all
sorts of other clerical work. His position
is that of a clerk or private secretary, and
he is a sort of clerk of all work. The con-
troleurs are the police officials. They rule
through the natives, but are responsible
for the good conduct of the district. The
assistant residents sit with the native
priests and chiefs, and act as judges, and
the residents are little kings who govern
their provinces. telling the native governors
what to do and how to do it.
The Dutch treat their colonial clerks very
well. At the end Of every ten years each
clerk gets two years vacation with half
pay or one year with full pay, and at the
same time trip to Europe with his fam
lily on passage money paid by the govern
ment. He has his government doctors, and
if they say he is not we'll he is allowed sick
leave and trip to Europe, and at the close
of twenty-five years service he is retired
on pension and sent home at government
expense. The pension. however, is only
one-third his salary, and on this account
many clerks prefer to stay. The officials
are not allowed to engage in business in
Java while in office, although many settle
there after retiring.
How the Dutch Got Java.
The story of Java and how the Dutch
have made it the most beautiful colony of
the world is full of interest. They landed
here just about hundred years after Co.
lumbus discovered America and built fort
at Batavia in 1910. The first settlements
were made by the Dutch East India Com
pany. somewhat like the British India Com
pany that first controlled India The Dutch
East India Company handled the colony for
about 200 years, and handled it badly. 1t
was it's policy to squeeze the natives for
all they were wortn. 1t made the trade in
spices, opium and pepper monOpOlieS be-
longing to the company, and the natives
were kept out of dealing in these articles
Trade with other nations not encour-
aged and the result was that at the close
of its rule. in 1898, the company was $45,-
600 900 in debt.
Then the Dutch government took possess
sion of the islands and sent on it's own Off
Gals, and among them one Marshall Daen-
dels as governor. Daendels studied the
system of land tenure which prevailed
among the natives and originated the cul
ture system which was afterward COM
pleted by General Van den Bosch. Prior
to this the lands of each kingdom or state
belonged absolutely to the local princes
and were occupied only by their consent.
The king or prince allotted the lands to
the people and each holder paid him -por-
tion of his crops, about one-thirtieth be-
ing set aside for the priests. In addition
TO this the people gave day or a day and
a half every week to their rulers Daen-
delS took this labor and applied it to the
building of roads.
He set the natives to work all over the
island and as result constructed in a
tropical country what is by far the best
system of roads in the world You can
ride all over Java today in a rubber tire
vehicle and not injure the machine. The
roads are shaded with enormous trees and
in places you go for miles and miles
through gigantic arbors The roads are
perfectly drained. They have bridges of
stone and culverts; and their walls are so
cut by drainage cutters that they dry
off within few hours after the heaviest
of tropical rains
The Culture System.
By the culture system the Dutch govern
ment furnished Europeans with money for
factories on easy payments and aided them
in establishing large businesses all over the
island. They arranged it so that they could
have a large amount of this free native
labor and to a certain extent gave them
forced labor for running their work Each
European who could give the proper Sc
curity and references could get slJ 900 on
twelve years time without interest He
had no payment whatever to make until
the third year and after this was to pay
one-tenth of the principal every year until
all was paid. With the money he was re-
quired to put up buildings and furnish ma
chinery, the plans of the same to DC ap-
proved by the government, and he was sup
piled with free native labor for two years
At the same time the government applied
the native land system to furnish the raw
materials needed for the factories The
people were required to plant one-fifth Of
their land in the crop needed and received
certain remission of taxes in lieu of
the same.
Some wages were paid and on the whole
the system was one which improved the
condition Of the people
1t certainly improved the revenues of the
colony, for after the culture system was
founded they steadily rose from 1000 UyJ
pounds until they reached the annual
amount of almost 10000 900 pounds The
colony soon paid off it's debts to Holland
It's imports were tripled and the annual
exports jumped from $40 OO0, 900 to 10000
900. Crime diminished to such an extent
that the courts sat only one month in the
year, and within twenty-five years the
population of Java was changed from one
of six thousand paupers to one of eleven
million rich peasants, who paid a govern
ment revenue of $45OO,O00 year This
system continued in force untilf1S71, or for
almost fifty years, during which time it
paid Holland a surplus of $3.50, eco 600
Since then / am told that the country has
failed to pay it's expenses, and that this is
its condition today. The system of forced
labor has been almost stopped, and the
most of the businesses are in the hands of
private parties Taxes are generally paid
in money rather than labor. as formerly,
and for the last five years the annual de-
ficit has been from So ,O00, 900 to 5000 900 or
more.
AT the same time the population has
steadily increased. 1t was 1900 900 in
nd in IL ic OK.