THE EAST COAST OF SUMATRA
1323:
and 3 Assistant-Controllers. Justice is dispensed by the Court of Justice at Medan, the Landraad of Medan and Bindjei, Tandjung Balei, Tebing Tinggi and Bengkalis, the residen- tiegerechten of Bindjei, Tandjoeng Balei and Bengkalis, the Magistrates, and by native Courts or Kara pattan. The staple industry of the country is agriculture, and this being dependent upon imported labour (Chinese and Javanese), the labour question is carefully guarded by a special Coolie Ordinance. All coolies are indentured under advances. The employer must house his people properly, provide them with medical attendance and food when sick, and monthly payments are compulsory. Six special officials. (1 Inspector and 5 adj. Inspectors of Labour) look after this.
Land is leased from the ruling prince or chief of the district for a certain number of years, so much per bahu or per acre being paid down, and a minimum f.1 per bahu or per acre per annum being paid as annual quittance.
The supremacy of the Dutch Government is based upon political treaties with each of the Princes, in whose hands is left the jurisdiction over their own subjects except so far as relates to the infliction of the death penalty and banishment, and the disposal of land or landed property. Land contracts with Europeans, while made between the ruling prince and the concessionaire, are subject to the approval of the Governor. Mining contracts require the approval of the Governor-General of the Netherland-Indies. In all the States the Dutch Government has bought the right to collect the customs duties and the ordinary revenues. Land revenue, collected by Government officials, is at the disposal of the native rulers and his chiefs. The best known of the States is Deli, where tobacco planting was first introduced, and by which name the whole of the East Coast is sometimes designated. Deli, Langkat, Serdang and other tobacco-growing districts, are celebrated throughout the world for their fine 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, 1917) there is a planted area of fully 26,0 0 acres, more than 80,000 acres of which are in tapping. The export for 1916 amounted to fully 15,265 tons against nearly 3,400 tons in 1913. The capital invested in rubber estates now amounts to more than £12,000,000. The territory in which rubber grows 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 12,284 acres, more than 6,000 acres of which are already in production.
Other important agricultural products are given below:---
Coffee Cocoanuts Oil Palms Gambier...
...
...
...
Acres Planted.
(Mainly as catch-crop)
19,000
9,105
Coffee Copra Gambier
...
...
...
2,600
...
Export 1916 K.G (1 lb. = 0.4536 K.G.)
3 746,934 K.G. 4,645,645 2,312,618
,,
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 1916 was exported from that. place 19,072 tons (1,000 K.G.) fish, and 9,897 tons (1,000 K.G) shrimps, trasi, etc. Considerable also is the export of timber from the islands near Bengkalis to Singa- pore. 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 neces- saries 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 five banking corporations-the Javabank, the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, the Nederlandsche Handel Maatschappij, the Nederlandsch-Indische Handelsbank and the Nederlandsch-Indische Escompto Maatschappij-have their branches. There are two very good hotels (Hotel de Boer and Medan Hotel) a Club (Witte Societeit), a Race-club, numerous houses of business, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Malay, Bombay and Kling shops, etc.