New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-10
JATA.
a .Study f Dutch Methods Of
administration.

TFrr POLICY hND ADMINISTER AT1oN q, TIE
'-,.---+ r,-lselso- ~ Economic history IN Yale
COMPANY
This IL FrhoI.rIv study ~ q subject about
which too UttIe is known ly English speaking
readers. A. Professor Day observes. There is a
WIDE diyerronoe between the descriptions ~ inc
policy OF the Dutch Ed java as seen by English
writers and the facts as they appear in she writ
snrB % Dutch historians and 90 the original
document Too often the rhapsocies - pleas
arc eeoFine travellers have been accepted as
mixtures q actual conditions end as A result
Ftudprts ~ economic history and % colonial
government have been Jed aetray. Even the
p,.-p historians have neglected to delve 10
tho root of the experiences OF their government
s. Tava-tla native or-auizstI1r. This The Uflte'
declares t8 De- the most important topic in BIS
f.r1v since Java. ia "a sense has always been,
rra always win De- ruled ly the JaVanese, ana
tho Successes and failure of the Dutch have
hear t- -h ratio rr trefr recognition of this fact
As N rule. it would appear. ihey have Recognized
Il impcrfccry Tho picture we are given IS
gloomy but BIS subetantiatcd hv references 10
the best Dutch authorities. That aninus has
not rendered it uuduIy sonibre Is shown by the
more optimistic touches tightening the period
subsequent 20 the abolition 90 the culture
rvstem and extending t0 Che present. sufficient
proFress has been made 10 raise high hopes Cor
ahe future.
The subject matter Of this work may be said
40 come under five heads: The period antedat-
tng the Dutch occupation; the period OF the
Dutch East india Company; the period Of the
British occupation. the period OF the Du'ch
deterioration" and the culture system and the
modern period. dating from about l6'o IL
A. bere impossible 10 follow Professor Day fully
F.-f1. #.fae.r fIHH cor
60 render Java al once source Of profit and a
~,ercial milestone 20 the Netherlands, or Z"
srace with him the desolation wrought IN this
.-ce-den OF tie East by the selfishness, greed
and ignorance Of officials. On far less pfoFoe1-
zion the natives OF British India rose IN revolt
but the Javanese were not OF the same callofe.
rbev bore their suneriugs in silence Tor ihe
,.ssoo that had enabled "a handful Of Dutch
soldierv 20 conquer the island. The people hau
seen 90 disciplined and repressed 10y native oeS-
pots that they had no powers OF resistance
Professor Day points out that at hrst me l'u-'N
. 'H,ast India Company had no territorial aspira-
siona and. indeed, held 10 none but purely
commercial object But they soon found that
sbeir trade monopoly could only be sustained 10y
N resort 10 arms Coupling hnesse with holiness,
they set native chieftaius al ODDS, and soon
became paramount. once established. they rap
IDLY succeeded. by deft manipulation Of the ma
Eve organization In controlling at VIII the great
masses OF the Javanese. Then began an era OF
oppression and extortion.
Monopoly was the keynote Of the sovereign
company's policy. and monopoly proved its un-
doing The author is inclined 10 accept Hoofts
claim that from 1902 20 1896 the company paid
an annual dividend averaging 10 per cent From
1858, however its accounts showed constant
losses, and il lived through most Of the
eighteenth century on credit When its affairs
were wound Up IN 179S Il owed more than l54,-
100000 gulden. Waste and ignorance character
fzed its administration. With all its faults, and
despite the consistency with which Il robbed the
natives Professor Day does not hold with those
who view the companys presence as an un-
mixed curse 10 Java. For one thing. it brought
the Javanese something they had not formerly
enioyed-pCace. The population Of the island
increased markedly during the years Of the COM /
pany's rule. That Il contributed aught OF ma 4
terial value to the welfare Of the people cannot /
be admitted. The development Of the island was 4
retarded by the company's determination 10 1
keep up prices A limit was set TO the cultiva- /
tion Of staples. and a surplus Of commodities \
was also prevented by burning or buryiEE all 4
beyond that which could be handled at a huge /
profit The monopolsts were unremittingly \
hostile 10 individual enterprise. and fought all /
proposals OF colonization. The one serious at
tsmpt to form a colony proved futile. owing TO