Directory_and_Chronicle_1899 — Page 974

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NETHERLANDS INDIA-BATAVIA

CHINA NAVIGATION COMPANY, LIMITED Agents, Batavia-Maclaine, Watson & Co.

Do. Samarang-McNeill & Co.

Do.

Soerabaia-Fraser, Eaton & Co.

OCCIDENTAL AND ORIENTAL S. S. Co. PACIFIC MAIL STEAMSHIP COMPANY

DEUTSCHE DAMPSCHIFFS RHEDEREA Agenten-Erdmann & Sielken

OCEAN STeamship ComPANY Agents, Batavia-Maclaine, Watson & Co. Samarang-McNeill & Co.

Agents, Batavia

Do. Soerabaia

J. C. MacColl

Do. Padang } Daendels & Co.

Do. Moluccos

STOOMBOOT MAATSCHAPPIJ BILLITON President Commissaris-A. Haga

Directeuren-N. van der Mey, Tjeong A.

Koei

Commissarissen-Phang Tjong Toen

Do.

Do.

Soerabaia

Do.

Pasoeroean

Fraser, Eaton & Co.

Do.

Probolinggo

Do.

Cheribon

Do.

Tegal

Do.

JG.A.

G.A. van Putten & Co.

Do.

Pekalongan

Gorontalo-J. van Hartrop.

THE EAST ASIATIC COMPANY, LIMITED Agents-Erdmann and Sielcken

(Batavia, Samarang, and Soerabaia)

BATAVIA

Batavia, the residence of the Government of Netherlands India, is situated in 106° 48′ E. longitude and 67 S. latitude. The old city is built in the ancient Dutch style and was till the beginning of this century surrounded by fortifications, which have since been demolished. It has always been unhealthy, but in 1699 the unfavourable conditions were greatly increased by an eruption of Mount Salak, masses of mud and sand being washed up by the river Tjiliwong, so that drainage became very difficult. On account of this unhealthy condition only very few Europeans remain day and night in the old city. The fine large houses are employed for offices and godowns and in the afternoon, when business is finished, most of the Europeans retire to the new town, which is situated south of the old city and built in modern style. Broad roads and spacious squares and nice bungalows surrounded by gardens form there a healthy place. It was Marshall Daendels who in the first years of this century began to build the new town with the construction of barracks and the palace that was designed to be the residence of the Governor-General, but has never been used as such, It contains the large assembly room It is now utilised for Government offices.

for the Governor-General and the Council for India, which room contains the portraits of all the Governors-General of Netherlands India. The palace is situated on the west side of the Waterloo Square, where are to be seen a monument of the battle of Waterloo, another monument to General Michiels, and a bronze statue of Jan Pieterszoon Coen, which was unveiled when the 250 years' existence of Batavia was celebrated. On the right and left of the palace are the Supreme Court and the Military Club Concordia. At a short distance from the Waterlooplein is another and larger square, the Koningsplein, each side of which is nearly one mile long. The square is surrounded by elegant comfortable houses, the residences of the higher officials and wealthy merchants. There is also a tine church, Willemskerk, near the railway station, and the museum of the Batavian Society of Arts and Sciences.

The old city and the new are connected by two railways, one tramway, and wide roads for carriages. Different Banks and Banking Corporations have agencies at Batavia, viz.:-The Netherlands Trading Society (Nederlandsche Handel Maatschappij), with a capital of f.35,783,000, and a reserve capital of 1.2,753,427 23 gave a dividend of 5% per cent. in 1894, and 5 per cent. in 1895. The Netherlands Indian Mercantile Bank Nederlandsch Indische Handelsbank), with a capital of £.7,200,000 and a reserve capital of f.1,373,528-70 promotes trade, industry, and agriculture in Netherlands India, advances money to agricultural estates and for the trade in products. The Colonial Bank, capital f.10,000,000, also supplies capital to estates and promotes agricultural enterprise. The Netherlands Indian Escompto Company, with a capital of f.3,000,000 and a reserve capital of f.167,000, does general banking business, advances money on shares, etc. There are also agencies of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corpora- tion and of the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China.