THE EAST COAST OF SUMATRA
1353
other tobacco-growing districts, are celebrated throughout the world for their fine silky tobacco leaf, which is specially fitted for the outside wrappers of cigars, being at once light in weight and elastic and strong in texture. The leading tobacco company is the Deli Maatschappij, which, for 26 years, has paid a dividend averaging 75 per cent. per annum. Next to tobacco, with a planted area of 172,000 acres, the cultivation of rubber (Hevea Brasiliensis) has developed to such an extent in the last five years that now there is a planted area of some 300,000 acres. The capital invested in rubber estates mounts to more than £12,000,000. The territory in which rubber grows stretches from Langkat in the north to Asahan and Siak in the south. The cultiva- tion of tea has also developed in the last few years until it has now a planted area of more than 12,284 acres, more than 6,000 acres of which are already in production.
Other important agricultural products are given below :—
Coffee Cocoanuts Oil Palms Gambier...
Export 1916 K.G
(1 lb. = 0.4536 K.G.)
3,746,934 K.G.
...
Acres Planted.
...
...
(Mainly as catch-crop)
19,000
9,105
Coffee Copra Gambier
...
曲角
2,600
...
...
4,645,645
};
2,312,618 "}
Very important also is the export of fish from Bagan Si Api Api-the second fish export harbour of the world to Singapore and Java. In 1916 was exported from that place 19,072 tons (1,000 K.G.) fish, and 9,897 tons (1,000 K.G) shrimps, trasi, etc. Considerable also is the export of timber from the islands near Bengkalis to Singa- pore. About 3,000 coolies are employed in this trade. The production of paddy, though considerable, falls short of the demand by many thousand bags, which are mostly imported from the Straits Settlements. Kerosene oil is exported from Langkat to the Straits Settlements, British India, Hongkong, Siam and China. Almost all neces- saries of life have to be imported, and a brisk trade between Java, the Straits Settlements, Europe and the East Coast is the consequence.
Medan (Deli), the residence of the principal civil and military officials, is a pleasant little town, laid out in modern style, and the streets are lit with electric light. A splendid residence with architectural pretensions has been built for the Governor in the new quarter of Polonia. In the town five banking corporations the Javabank, the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, the Nederlandsche Handel Maatschappij, the Nederlandsch-Indische Handelsbank and the Nederlandsch-Indische I Escompto Maatschappij-have their branches. There are two very good hotels (Hotel de Boer and Medan Hotel) a Club (Witte Societeit), a Race Club, numerous houses of business, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Malay, Bombay and Kling shops, etc.
The port of Belawan (Deli) on the Belawan River, is in communication with Medan by road and railway, the lines of which extend a long distance up country and the North, 3 giving also communication via Tandjoeng Poera with Pankalan Brandan and to the South, via Tebing Tinggi with Tandjoeng Balei (Asahan) and Pematang Siantar. Other important ports are those of Pangkalan Brandan, Tandjoeng Poera, Tandjoeng- Balei, Bengkalis, Bagan Api Api and Laboean Bilik.
The population under this Government amounted in 1915 to 5,127 Europeans, 680,291 natives, 131,103 Chinese, 322 Arabs and 13,359 other Orientals; total 830,202, against 568,417 in 1905.
DIRECTORY
GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, MEDAN Governor of the East Coast of Sumatra—
H. J. Grijzen
Asst. Resident--G. L. Uljee Secretary-J. J. F. Pino
Chief Clerks-D. F. van der Heijde, E. J. Enkoroma Coffie, J. Groenendijk, F. F. A. Sülter, J. H. Inkiriwang, Mohd. Hadjeral- gelar, Soetan Maleka
ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENTS OF THIE GOVERNMENT EAST COAST OF SUMATRA
Asst. Resident-H. E. K. Ezerman Chief Clerk---J. M. Ferdinandus
Beneden Deli, Medan Controller (Medan)-F. van Konijnenburg Do. (Laboean Deli)-A. P. Romswinckel Clerk-J. H. Adam
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