PADANG
Padang, the capital of the West Coast of Sumatra, is situated 100 deg. 30 min. 30 sec. E. longitude and 59 min. 30 sec. S. latitude. The population, numbered 52,054 of whom 2,592 (1,298 males, 1,294 female) Europeans, 40,744 (23,196 male, 17,548 female) Natives, 7,263 (3,977 male, 3,286 female) Chinese, 1,455 (755 male, 700 female) other foreign Orientals according to Census, 7th of October, 1930. Padang has a splendid natural harbour, the "Emmahaven," with up-to-date wharfage facilities. The place is an important market for Import and Export articles. The produce of the West Coast, such as coffee, copra, cassia-vera, rattan, gum damar, rubber, hides, nutmegs, mace, cloves, etc., are shipped to the different ports of the world. The beautiful highlands, with the centre Fort de Kock, offer plenty of opportunities for walking and motoring trips amidst most gorgeous scenery. Padang is one of the healthiest places on the Coast, land and sea breezes contributing materially to lower the temperature. Owing to the absence of monsoons no division of the year into a dry and a wet season can be made, the rainfall being more or less equally divided over the whole year. However June and July are considered to be the dry period and October to December the wet.
Padang is linked up with Medan-Deli on the North East coast by an excellent motor road which passes through a great variety of primeval and beautiful scenery. Comfortable hotels and rest houses are distributed along this 850 kilometer length of road, so that the journey is warranted free from hardship.
In 1941 Padang will be an aerial port so that tourists will be enabled to enjoy a birds-eye view of this richly verdured tropical island. Padang has two good hotels and a Rotary Club.
Padang and Fort de Kock are each equipped with a golf course. Especially attractive is the one in the cool climate of Fort de Kock, laid out in a romantic miniature sort of Wild West canyon with a rushing stream running through its length about 40 feet below the greater part of the course, and a lovely view, through one end of the canyon, of the volcano "Merapi " about 10 Miles away.
Padang can now be reached from Singapore in 12 hours, doing the trip to Pakan Baroe by air and from there by motor along good roads.
DIRECTORY
MUNICIPALITY
Mayor-Dr. W. M. Ouwerkerk, LL.D. Secretary--Dr. S. Blankstein, LL.D. Treasurer-J. M. van der Wal
Director of Public Works-J. F. Kipper-
man, C.E.
Director of Electric Light & Power
Service B. van der Weerdt Veterinary Surgeon-A. H. P. van der
Put, VET. B.
KAMER VAN KOOPHANDEL EN
NYVERHEID
(Chamber of Commerce & Industries) Chairman-F. F. Anema
Vice-President--M. Passer
Members H. W. Jonker, H. D. Canne
and P. W. Metzelaar
Secretary-W. v.d. Stoel
HANDELSVEREENIGING
(Commercial Association)
Chairman-H. van Gelder
-
Members of the Board H. W. Jonker
and A. Weening
Secretary-W. v. d. Stoel
KAMER VAN KOOPHANDEL EN NIJVERHEID TE PADANG (Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Padang)
President (Vacant)
Vice President- M. Passcr Members-F. F. Anema, N. F. Spier van Levicht. Ch. M. Kamerling and H. W. Jonker
Secretary-W. v. d. Stoel
BANKS
CHARTERED BANK OF INDIA, AUSTRALIA &
CHINA-
Javasche Bank, agents