CO129-464 - Public Offices - 1920 — Page 296

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Undertakings should, therefore, be of an agri- cultural nature, the produce of which could either be exported immediately or manufactured locally. The great drawback of mattling agricultural undertakings on the islands outside Java was the absence of local labour, Janeasse labourers not being able to work under the prevailing conditions. Although Chinese and Tamil labourers were employed in the Straits Settlements, comperatively few were found in the Dutch Rast Indies, and unless a certain amount of labour were found outside the local population more mechanical meɛne would have to be employed, and the method adopted by Japen to use labourers instead of mechanical or animal pover should be :bandoned.

The richness of the archipelago in petroleu would sable the use of internal combustion machinery for reclamation work and agriculture, and would point to the latter being carried on as in America.

The lecturer continued to advocate the use of machinery, and described the best method to employ sume. Uf the most advisable articles to grow, Count Sokosi mentioned rubber which, however, would not succeed in the easteru part of the archipelago on account of the shortage of labour. Another and more advanta~eous cultivation would be that of cocoa nuts where trees did not require coastaat attention as the produse need only be picked once or twice a year. The fact that most of the country could easily be irrigated on account of the slowping nature of the soil, rice field could easily be laid on. The cultivation of gronad ants was also extremely advantageous es two croos a year could be gathered, and the lecturer said that on account of the favourable con- ditions the total amount produced would be four times as freat us the oro: of the mɛe area in Japan.