THE EAST COAST OF SUMATRA
1425
silky tobacco leaf, which is specially fitted for the outside wrappers of cigars, being at once light in weight and elastic and strong in texture. The leading tobacco company is the Deli Maatschappij, which for 26 years has paid a dividend averaging 75 per cent. per annum. Next to tobacco, with a planted area of 172,000 acres, the cultivation of rubber (Hevea Brasiliensis) has developed to such an extent in the last five years that now (1st January, 1915) there is a planted area of fully 250,000 acres, more than 50,000 acres of which are in tapping. The export for 1914 amounted to fully 5,165 tons against nearly 3,400 tons in 1913. The estimate for 1915 is 7,200 tons. The capital invested in rubber estates now amounts to more than £10,000,000. The territory in which rubber is grown stretches from Langkat in the north, to Asahan and Siak, in the south. The cultivation of tea has also developed in the last few years until it has now a planted area of more than 10,000 acres, more than 2,000 acres of which are already in production.
Other important agricultural products are given below:-
Acres Planted. Acres in Bearing. Export 1914. Export 1913.
Coffee Cocoanuts Oil Palms
Gambier...
...
...
(Mainly as catch-crop)
12,720
1,150
8,500
2,600
2,200
lbs.
8,490,000
15,195,000
4,500,000
lbs.
4,070,000
11,371,000
5,154,000
Very important also is the export of fish from Bagan Si Api Api-the second fish export harbour of the world-to Singapore and Java. In 1914 was exported from that place 19,258,167 K. G. fish, and 15,655,569 K. G. shrimps, trasi, etc. Considerable also is the export of timber from the islands near Bengkalis to Singapore. About 3,000 coolies are employed in this trade. The production of paddy, though considerable, falls short of the demand by many thousand bags, which are mostly imported from the Straits Settlements. Kerosene oil is exported from Langkat to the Straits Settlements, British India. Hongkong, Siam and China. Almost all necessaries of life have to be imported, and a brisk trade between Java, the Straits Settlements, Europe and the East Coast is the consequence.
Medan (Deli), the residence of the principal civil and military officials, is a pleasant little town, laid out in modern style, and the streets are lit with electric light. A splendid residence with architectural pretensions has been built for the Governor in the new quarter of Polonia. In the town four
four banking corporations-the Javabank, the Nederlandsche Handel Maatschappij, the Ned. Ind.
Ned. Ind. Handelsbank and the Chartered Bank of India,
India, Australia and China-have their branches. There are
two very good Hotels, a Club, a Race-club,, numerous houses of business, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Malay, Bombay and Kling shops, etc. The port of Belawan, Deli, on the Belawan River, is in communication with Medan by road and railway, the lines of which extend a long distance up country and the North, giving also communication via Tandjoeng Poera with Pangkalan Brandan and tó the South, via Tebing Tinggi with Tandjoeng Balei (Asahan). Other important ports are those of Pangkalan Brandan, Tandjong Balei, Bengkalis, Bagan Api Api and Siak.
The population of this Residency amounted in 1905 to 2,667 Europeans, 99,239 Chinese, 89 Arabs, 15,487 other Orientals, and 450,940 natives; total 568,416.
DIRECTORY
Boven Deli, Arnhemia
Controller-H. Sieberg
Clerk-E. R. Anthonysz
AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT OF THE
GOUVERNEMENT, EAST COAST OF Sumatra
Deli en Serdang, Medan
Asst. Resident—N. J. van den Brandhof Secretary-H. J. de Wit
Chief Clerk-W. H. Elsborg
Clerk--Hadjerat
Beneden Deli, Medan
Controller-V. Obdeyn
Magistrate-J. Francke (Labean Deli) Clerk B. Scholte
Serdang, Loeboek Pakam
Controller-W. P. F. L. Winckel Magistrate—A. M. W. Rauwerda Clerk-J. Encoroma Coffie
Padang and Bedagei, Tebing Tinggi Controller P. J. Ketting Olivier Clerk-A. N. Wattumena
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