Directory_and_Chronicle_1904 — Page 1646

702

NETHERLANDS INDIA

TRADE, NAVIGATION

Riouw, Bengkalis, Macasser, Ternate, Amboina, Kajeli, Banda and Koepang are free ports. The other ports are open either for general trade or only for native coasting navigation. Entrepôts, where goods can be stored and sold, and from whence they can be exported without payment of import or export duties, are established at Batavia, Cheribon, Samarang, Soerabaia, Padang, Siboga, Baros, Singkel, Menado and Gorontalo. The value of imports in 1902 was in Java and Madoera 130,943,593 guilders in the other islands

Total...

A

72,014,447

202,958,040

""

The value of exports in 1902 was from Java and Madoera... 182,128,788 guilders and from the other islands

...

Total...

83,342,696

??

265,471,484

The mercantile marine of Netherlands India consisted in December, 1902, of 2,594 ships, of which 170 were steamers, with a tonnage of 325,361 cubic metres.

In 1902 there arrived from abroad

4,321 steamers

154 European sailing vessels... 2,179 native sailing vessels

Total... 6,654 vessels with a tonnage of and in the same year departed

tonnage 5,835,91 cubic metres

""

195,712 274,176

"1

""

6,305,807

4,034 steamers

tonnage

150 European sailing vessels... 2,176 native sailing vessels

>>

5,816,514 cubic metres

194,881 267,355 ""

""

>"

""

6,360

6,278,750

19

Import duties are imposed in Java and Madoera, the West and East coast of Sumatra, Acheen (except the isle of Way), Bencoolen, Lampongs, Palembang, Banka, Billiton, S. E. Borneo, W. Borneo, E. Coast of Sumatra, Indragiri, Lombok and Menado, but not in the islands of the Riouw residency, in the Government of Celebes and in the Residencies Amboina, Ternate (except Banggaai) and Timor. The import duty is fixed ad valorem or according to the weight or the dimensions, most of the goods being separately mentioned in the tariff. Most of the metals, machinery, raw materials, as lime and wood, horses and cattle, and articles of art and science are free of import duty. Export duty is only paid on a few articles according to value or quantity, for instance, hides 2 per cent., birds' nests 6 per cent., damar, benzoin, rottan 5 per cent. (S. E. Borneo 8 per cent.,) of the value, tin f.3:50 for 100 kilogrammes. Transit cargo is free.

An excise is charged on liquors of 5 per cent., on alcohol, on kerosene oil (f.2.50 per hectoliter), on matches when each stick has only one head f.070 per gross boxes, each box containing no more than seventy-nine sticks (f.005 per gross boxes more for each additional number of five sticks or part therefrom), when each stick has two heads f.1.40 per gross boxes, each box containing no more than seventy-nine sticks (f.0.10 per gross boxes more for each additional number of five sticks or part therefrom) and on tobacco exported from Java to Borneo.

Commercial intercourse is much advanced by the Steam Navigation Company "Koninklyke Paketvaart Maatschappij," possessing 40 steamers plying across the whole Archipelago. These steamers have splendid accommodation for saloon passengers.

PUBLIC WORKS

On the 1st June 1903 were open 1,788 kilometres of railway in Java and 313.-kilome tres in Sumatra; 1,852 kilometres of tramway in Java and Madura and 73 kilome- tres in Sumatra. The telegraphs extend over 8,092′09 kilometres, the telegraph cables over 3,366,208, together 11,458,298 kilometres. The balance of revenues and expenditures of the Post and Telegraph services showed a deficit of f.126,200,44; the number of stations was 398 for Java and Madoera and 119 for the other islands.