The sun., 1903-03-22
RISE OF A GREAT INDUSTRY.
RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF ST.
MATRA'S TOBACCO FIELDS.
An Industry Less Than 30 Years Old That
Has Yielded $3.50 900 900 OF Leaf
for the Amst erdam Narket-The Dutch
man VINO started the Enterprise
-Forty.fOur Companies at Work.


man VINO started the Enterprise
-Forty.four Companies At work.
We buy every year from $1,000 900 to
4; 600 900 worth of Sumatra leaf for cigar
wrappers. Several other nations also buy
large quantities Of this superior leaf.
We might think from the enormous de-
velopment of tobacco growing in Sumatra
that the industry had been in progress for
many years. 1t is in fact less than forty
years old. Octave Collet, who for years
has been prominently associated with it,
has written series OF articles on Tobacco
in Sumatra," published In the Bulletin Of
the Societe dEtudes Coloniales and from
this authoritative source the following facts
are taken about this special development
of tobacco growing which has scarcely
parallel.
Practically all the tobacco OF Sumatra
is grown on the coastal plain stretching
along the northeastern and east central
par,s Of the island. The growers do not
speak Of Sumatra tobacco, but the crop Is
known as Deli tobacco, the name Of the
little Sultanate on the east coast where the
industry began and most of the crop is
raised.
Nearly all the plantations are centred
in Deli and the two Sultanates adjoining 1t
on the north and the south. Deli has be-
come almost one vast plantation Of tobacco.
The low plain where it grows 10 limited by
the sea in the east and the mountains in
the west, where the conditions Of climate
and soil are ideal and the best qualities Of
leaf are grown.
Forty years ago this yeaf the industry
was started by q Dutchman named Mem
ha min ha known IN fame the
founder Of the great tobacco colony OF
Suu,atra. Up to that time the Dutch had
no idea Of this opportunity for starting so
magnificent an industry.
Early in that year an Arab, named ABB
dullah, appeared at Batavia. pretended
to be a Prince and said that he had acquired
from the Sultan Of Dell q monopoly OF the
sale and cultivation Of certain products In
the business firms Of Batavia and offered,
for cash down. to open the way Tor most
profitable business operations in Deli. he
said that 1000 tons Of tobacco we're being
shipped every year TO various parf 20 OF
the quality excellent. and that the industry
The firm decided to investigate the matter
and accordingly sent Nienhuys, with sew
eral other Europeans, to Deli, where it was
found that Abdullah was a person OF no
repute, that he had greatly exaggerated
the quantity OF leaf produced and that the
quality was very poor. The disguised
Europeans decided to return TO BATAVIA;
experience In tobacco growing in Java,
believed there was a prospect for the IN
dustry in Deli and decided to remain there
and make a thorough study OF the prooa-
With the aid Of the Sultan he cleared
a forest tract and began TO raise tobacco;
The entire country was heavily timpered
and il has been necessary to clear the iand
before opening any OF the great plantations
that now cover that region.
The more Nenhuys exper1nented the
more thoroughly ne became convinced that
the natural conditions were exceptionaly
favorable for tobacco growing, ms nrst
how to improve his crops by the introduc-
ton of other varieties Of leaf. and in 1865
he sent 10 Amsterdam about 10000 pounds
OF tobacco of superior quality.
The attention Of the tobacco trade OF
northwest Europe was at once turned TO
the now famous Deli Maatschappij. or
Company was formed. Nienhuys was
placed at the head Of the oompany's in
terests. To-day 10000 laborers are en-
ployed on it's plantations.
The development Of the industry though
very. rapid was retarded htue M nrM
that region were not accustomed 70 reg
ular hours Of labor and were too inefhcient
10 be depended upon for the hard work
OF clearing the lands and preparing them
for the seed. II was determined to import
Chinese coolies, and to-day many thou
sands OF them are In the service OF the
various tobacco companies.
The Kings OF Malabar are also largely
represented among the laborers and 30
are the Javanese. For years past the
labor question has ceased to be perple exing.
There are now forty-four companies
engaged in growing Dell tobacco. Many
thousands OF acres had been cleared OF
,kn.r 10 and fnrnad intn tDtanoD Hels
The older companies had the advantage
Of being able 20 select the best lands but
the later companies were able 70 proht by
the eIperienoe Of the pioneers ard thu.
ia. earlier growers. The pionesr COMPANY.
the Deli Maatschappij, " now cultivating
ao.coo acres. divided into twenty-ons
Plantations.
great Tho mean annual dividends Of the
hve Oldest companies, for example. have
h-en Deli Company, 50 per cent: every
wear from 1870 20 isoo, tho Deli Batavia
Company, rs psr cent. from is7t 10 isoo;
from Iss0 90 lsOo. the Amsterdam. Dell
Company, IS per cent, from iss1 Ia 1900,
and the sen.mhah Company, &c per cent.
from lssg Ia 1910. Most II Theses ooInIsanss
s"r. orsani1'd N .ss sst,s'.sna s.. sns s.' , -.
also quite a number ~ planters 81 other
hAtioilalitiss. tho OcrInans leading
kufnAtra tobaOoos are sJld by Dutch
and O-rman houses and ar- obnsuined
thfuushnut ti.s World, bat principally 10
Grrtnany, tho tnitsd States, Austria and
ff.Io. nss skpDns have steadily aud
uIstly groom every y~sf
lr ed tiisy amounted to ~ tales of ieaf,
r.l, tail containing 10 luosfaias ~ "a
i-nrl ln Isas tl,s sspou cup sa~ AL
ta.r aGd Ia The fOllosli li4s y.sI tl's slsai
d..,.ulsl..ni - ths lndusiIt lss.h iss
sts.u orup a lss wAs va iso tales Ties
IIt .f.p las siusn ffoin y. iois ih lee ~
lH 'sI ttass in lssi
40 h d. Ilild . iaaJ tLIogsL tl,s osnifs
H cod il.sh a. issln fslihs uss h.ss
a.. ..4tili.s d1sn tiis Iiidshsfush oi siii.ss
t.s 4 q H,.idissis a i,ssh ais si''iau,sd
900 laisH
Nl.aa il.s als,s.ss iAss e,,is,lasls-d li.ss
.Is tl.f sfuuisd y ssstsis-j snl : ,a.sasils
H.a a fallsal tiiiiisG a1d ~ 4sll sialsl y
i..Hai.,sl Al AZ - > 100 sssAs cad =
If .aifsni 10 s.sat i@rsa'.sr sfs,.,'
I.s.lIt Hi 80 aii NJ ia Laiiili,S no rl,ls
...H i.sh a. sifr a lissi HiilsA iasilileiss
.I.a'Isil N ils laisFi iinasi a. as.,'s
f ...as "a iir Fiislils Afr fti,il9~a -
M. = Hiiiia aif iisf ~ a iis D. s,tisa
-. .HN.aI.sHI a. IssaaNN Il =