Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-04-16
TAKES FORD TO TASK

TAXES FORD TO TASK
! Editor Honolulu Star-Bulletin,
Sir: with reference to the article
headed Ford Gives Promotion Ad-
vice to the Javanese Tourist Bureau
appearing in your edition OF Satur-
Gay, April II, to some Of the infor1na-
ticn given in this article respecting
Java | beg to take exception, as be-
ling incorrect and misleading. HaV-
ing lust returned from a four months
tour through Java, studying the peo-
pie and conditions, my personal knowl-
edge is such as to lead me to believe
that the article in question was writ
ten with a lack of knowledge OF con
ditiCns.
Ford states, the Javanese tourist
bureau has but SIC, 900 year to spend
en- boosting Java" He evidently is
not aware of the fact that every party
organized or directed by this bureau,
in a tour Of the island. pays indirectly
10 per cent to the official tourist
bureau, on hotel bills, carriage fares
tetc. 49, = . u 49, T..
The hotels net in the combine, and
there are some, the Elanagersof which
Informed me that they would not pay
the 10 per cent to the official tourist
bureau and therefore not any tourists
were sent to them This IN some
measure explains why Herr Director
informed Ford that you could not get
Ipeepie to work together in Java. Ford
SAYS. "No ere knows who the head
iof the Javanese tourist bureau is. for
i he is not permitted to let his name
go cut On the literature" Most charm
ling modesty indeed On the part OF the
Dutch government that thus conceals
its identity, but generously ereets
/ pawn shops and opium kits in every
little native village throughout the
! whole island, some places | have
noted right next to each other, where
j, the six gulden a year taxed 20 cents
Ia day coolte, may after q days work
lin the Shiny paddy field, pawn his
/ paltry trinkets for pipe or two or
opium Becoming modesty indeed!
Methinks Ford somewhat SKINNED
j the surface Of this island In obtaining
his facts and figures, as | shall en-
! aeayor to show. He states that his
suggestions to the director OF the tour
list bureau at Batavia, were energetic.
/ With knowledge of a personal inter
iview with Herr Director ,befere my
mind he would need to be- The idea
lef any one suggesting flyer to the
Herr Director causes me to shudder,
land wonder that theythe Javanese
Tourist bureau-did not seize upon this
/ flying dispenser of wayse and means
land bury him in rice tafeE,44 1sf =,
Ford states that they having ref
erence to the Royal Packet Company,
4 charge S35 for 40-hour trim between
Singapore and Batavia !" Thirty-fiEe
dollars in u. S. currency is S71s gulden
| in Dutch money. while cancelled pas
sage ticket in my possession not
three months old, shows the rate to
be ITO gulden, or little. over $50.
quote from the literature OF the
Javanese tourist bureau: 81
+. NOTICE. 1855,
"The attention of tourists is drawn
to the fact, that the official tourist
bureau for Java is in no way bush
ness or money concern.
There is no banking, no expedition
of luggage, no selling Of tickets, no
procuring of guides, no ordering OF
hotel rooms, etc. ~ IT,.
THE sole object is increasing the
tourist traffic to Java and making a
tourists stay as pleasant as possible,
/ by giving good, reliable and impartial
information, free of charge, verbal or
by letter." 1Ss ...~ i.
The good, reliable. IMPARTIAL infor.
nation consists of directing you tosR
4 hotel which will take care of the 10
! per cent The sum and substance Of
the matter is that the Dutch govern
ment aims to own and control every
thing that looks like money On the
island.
| A common feature in every native
village is a building with a. sign,
| Government Pand Huis" (pawn shop
in the Dutch. Malay and Javanese
languages. The government also main
tains stores for the sale Of curios and
articles of native manufacture-places
practically maintained by the pur-
chases of tourists
The only theaters are the moving
picture shows-the Bioscope-here
again you are confronted by the YER
! satile Mein Herr of the Dutch govern
ment and the tax of 10 per cent must
be paid in addition to the admission
fee before you may enter
A scene rises wildly before my
mind of an evening spent at NOV
| ing picture show in the town of Pc.
calongan. The building was composed