Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-04-11
FORD GIVES PROMOTION ADVICE TO
THE JAVANESE TOURIST BUREAU

BATAVIA, Java, Feb. 2l.-The ia
van Tourist Bureau has but ten thou.
sand dollars a year to spend on boost
ing Java. In some respects her work
is about where that of Hawaii was
FIVE years ago, in others 1t Ia ahead
The director of the Official Tourist
Bureau" in Batavia 10 retired
Dutch army officer who is thorough,
~, efficient within the narrow limits
he has set for promotion work in
Java. He takes the view that the
only work of the Jayan tourist bu-
reau should be to get out advertising
literature; and this he does. To say
the last, our first interview was
energetic. The suggestions that maize
energetic. The suggestion that / made
we're startling in the extreme to the
gentleman OF Jeva. The dill L ttor was
certain that Java would not cooperate
with anyone, that she was thoroughly
satisfied with the fact that tourists
were coming and there was no COM
plants, and that the bureau existed
merely to give those who do come
ing Of what the Australasian tourist
bureaus were doing, and how they
had started as Independent bureaus,
and how the progressive ones had be-
come great proft-making establish
ments for their governments, and
here / was met with the statement
that what was good for Australia ana
America was not good for the Dutch
!. in Java, that there you could get peo-
pie to work together, but not in Java.
/ / told him that ! had met that same
cry in Hawaii Eve years ago, and that
today we were pulling together splen-
didly. ....I=~ ~.
/ suggested as a FLYER" that the
, official tourist bureau, the state rail
ways and the steamship companies
take part in the pan-Pacific pavilion
at the exposition In Sun Francisco,
and send q representative. Herr Di-
rector was quite certain that / could
not interest the state railways and
steamship companies of Java, but /
had In my pocket strong letters from
the Sydney convention to these COM
panies, and got out after them.
Mr.. Dumme, the head Of the gov
Iernment railways, found an alert
progressive man. He at once fell in
lime and gave very assurance of his
cooperation and support If could se-
lcure that of the tourist bureau and
! the steamship companies. Then be-
gan my bombardment on the great
Royal Packet Steam Navigation Com
| pany Of Java, which is perhaps only.
second In size on the Pacific to the
| Union Steamship Company Of New
Zealand. / had with me documents
showing the concessions the Union
Steamship Company would make to
create round 1.-the Pacific route for
/ Tourists, and what the ceasting steam
ship companies of Australia would do.
II kept these in the. background until /
hit out straight from the shoulder and
told the secretary and head director
that I considered their rates from
Singapore to Batavia the highest In
the world, and great detriment to Sc
curing tourists and visitors. to Java.
III wish Brother Kennedy of the Inter
| Island could have been there, he would
have enjoyed the fun that followed,
| for this is the great pet run of the
Royal Packet Company. They have
lput on magnificent steamers and
charge about $35 for the 40-hour trip.
10 lower that rate would be like
treason to the company. Then ] asked
for $5-a-day cruise rate for tourists
among all of the Dutch Indies, ex-
Guiding the Singapore-Patavia trip, ex-
planning that from Sydney you could
go to almost any CT the South Sea
Islands at cruise rate of 10 shillings
a day, and that from New York, or
London you could go cruising to al
most any part of the world at $5-a-
day rate on the best yachting steam
ers, and $3.50 a day on the passenger.
carrying freighters. Then we took a
recess and the company slept over the
matter with the result that the next
! day was assured that something
would be done In the way Of $5-a-
day cruises all through the Dutch In.
dies, from Sumatra to New Guinea.
/ Then / preached the matter of the
steamship companies getting together
and going in with the state railways
and the tourist bureau to be represent
ed in the pan-Pacific pavilion at the
Panama exposition in Frisco, and I
got assurances Of support, so that now
i, the official tourist bureau, the railways
and the steamship companies will
| work together, and all along the line
we will keep sending them reports of
successes accomplished elsewhere.
| will say that I was a little flat
tered to find that the Mid Pacific Mag
azine> is kept at the official tourist
bureau and sent around to each of the
| directors, for the management of the
tourist bureau is very like that of our
own Promotion Committee: the steam
ship companies appointing one direc.
tor, the banks director, and the state
railways a director, the government
giving a subsidy of $4,000 a year, a
drop from $4,000 given by the last
governor. am trying to persuade the
| two officers Of the tourist bureau that
If they will get a good outdoor man,
and let him get up excursions through,
out Java and pattern little after the
work of Adelaide and Sydney, the
pFpSpDf government will COO odvon