Directory_and_Chronicle_1900 — Page 1025

NETHERLANDS INDIA

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revenue of the opium monopoly is calculated for 1899 at 19,152,000 guilders, of which 3,988,000 are from the "régie.

The tin mines of Banka are exclusively worked by Government; the management of the exploration, the melting of the ore, and the transport of the tin to the godowns being in the hands of Chinese mining corporations (kongsi's) or of private contractors and their labourers. A private company holds a concession for the tin mines in Billiton, and pays a duty for the farming of the mines. The quantity exported in 1897 was 13,586,365 kilogrammes, valued at 10,869,091 guilders.

The monetary system of Netherlands India consists of gold coins of the value of ten guilders, silver coins of two guilders and a half, of one guilder, and of half a guilder (these coins are the same as those in the Netherlands); besides silver coins of f.0.25 and f.010, bearing Malay and Javanese inscriptions, and copper coins of f.001 (one cent), of f.0025 and f.0005. The issue of Bank notes is a monopoly of the Java Bank. These Bank notes are of the value of f.1,000, f.500, f.300, f.200, £.100, f.50, f.25, f.10, and f.5, and payable to bearer on demand. The head office of the Java Bank is at Batavia, and there are agencies at Cheribon, Semarang, Soerabaia, Soera- karta, Djogjokarta, Padang, and Macasser.

ARMY AND NAVY.

The Army of Netherlands India numbers 1,421 officers and 41,157 non-commissioned officers and men. It is separate from and independent of the Netherlands Army. The Commandant is appointed by the Queen. Besides the Army there are different armed troops, viz :

a. The "Schuttery," being guards residing in some of the larger places designed to co-operate with the Army in maintaining the peace. These guards number about 3,000 men, mostly Europeans, and a few natives and foreign orientals. The officers get a commission from the Governor-General.

--The Legion of the Native Prince Mangkoe Negoro, consisting of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, numbering about 850 men.

c.-Barisan, being native infantry of Madoera, 1,400 men, designed to maintain the peace in the island. In case of war in other islands they also participate in the campaigns.

-Dragoon Guards of the Soesoehoenan of Soerakarta and the Sultan of Djog-

.-Police soldiers.

jokarta.

The Netherlands Navy in these Colonies numbers 238 officers and 2,232 European. and 1,001 native non-commissioned officers and sailors, and consists of 25 men-of-war There is, besides, the Colonial Navy, consisting of 29 smaller ships with 113 Europeans and 715 natives, employed for transport duty and for maintaining the peace in the of thewaters Archipelago.

PUBLIC WORSHIP, EDUCATION.

The Protestant clergymen are appointed by the Queen; they are 41 in number. The Roman Catholic priests are appointed by the Pope and recognized by or in the name of the Queen. The Jews have no priests and are so few that in no place have they a synagogue. The Government does not interfere with Mahommedan worship, but pilgrims to Mecca require to take out passports and are obliged to prove that they have sufficient money to pay for the voyage and to support their families during their absence. Chinese religion is as free as all other kinds of public worship.

The Educational Department sustains a great many schools for Europeans and natives. At Batavia, Semarang, and Soerabaia are schools for higher education; Soerabaia has also a school for telegraph operators, mechanical engineers, etc. There are, further, 121 Government schools and 19 private schools in Java and 37 Govern- ment schools and one private school in the other islands, having on the 31st December, 1897, 17,640 pupils, among whom were 1,232 native children. Five colleges are devoted to the instruction of native schoolmasters, while 501 Government vernacular schools and 642 private vernacular schools give instruction to upwards of 123,222 pupils. The greater number of these private schools are managed by missionaries. In Batavia and Samarang are private schools for mechanical engineers and handi- craft.

In a great many places private persons can be admitted into the military hospitals, while in the large towns general hospitals are maintained for poor natives and Chinese and other hospitals for infectious diseases. Asylums for the insane are maintained at Buitenzorg, Soerabaia, and Semarang.

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