Directory_and_Chronicle_1937 — Page 1561

BATAVIA AND WELTEVREDEN-SOURABAYA

TIEDEMAN AND VAN KERCHEM, Export- ers of Coffee and Tea-Cable Ad: Sterling; Codes: Bentley's, A.B.C. 5th and 6th and Mercuur

UNITED STATES RUBBER EXPORT CO., LTD., Batavia, Importers of Tyres and Rubber Goods-Cable Ad: Rub- export; Codes: Bentley's, General and Privatc

VAN HEUSDEN EN MESS, Commission

Agents

Chef-W. van Heusden

VELODRO

ELODROME N.V., Importers of Auto- mobiles and Motor Trucks-Cable Ad: Velodrome; Codes: A.B.C. 5th; Bentley's, General and Acme

•

VISSER & Co., BOEKHANDEL, Importers of Paper, Stationery and Office Appliances-Cable Ad: Visboek; Codes: A.B.C.. 5th and 6th edns.

W. J. Th. Gerrelsen, director

C291

WALL & BOOM, Weltevreden, Importers

of Provisions, Building Materials and Textile Goods Cable Ad: Waalco; Codes: A.B.C. 5th and 6th and Bentley's

WEHRY & Co., GEO., General Import- ers and Estate Managers-Head Office: Batavia; Cable Ad: Wehry; Codes: A.B.C. 5th and 6th, Bent- ley's, Mosse, and Private

WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY OF ASIA, Incoporated in U.S.A.P.O. Box 52, Batavia-Centrum; Cable Ad: Wecophones, Singapore; Codes: A.B.C., 5th Edn.,

5th Edn., Bentley's and Western Electric Private Code

.

}

WILDING & Co., General Importers and Merchants Head Office: Tanah Abang West No. 28, Batavia; Cable Ad: Wildingco; Codes: Bentley's Second and Acme. Branches: Semarang and Soura- baya

SOURABAYA

Sourabaya is the capital of the "Provincie" Oost-Java, in the island of Java, and is advantageously situated for commercial purposes on the Madura Strait, directly opposite the island of Madura. The second largest city on the island, it is the principal centre of Java's commercial activities. It is also the naval headquarters of the Netherlands India. Among its principal buildings are à fine Government house, a naval arsenal, several shipbuilding yards and a naval flying-base.

Sourabaya's position is naturally protected and it lies on the low alluvial delta of the Kali Mas river which empties into the Madura strait. This strait is the narrow division between the island of Java and that of Madura. Sourabaya, therefore, is the outlet in a trade way for exceptionally rich districts. It has been pointed out else- where that Java is naturally divided into three producing districts, each of which, while yielding much the same products, yields a different grade. This is due to climate as well as to soil. Much of the soil of Java is of volcanic origin and therefore exceedingly rich in deposits of a nutritive value. The eastern portion of the island, of which Sourabaya is the seaport proper, contains about 2,000 square miles of agricultural land, most of which has been under cultivation for many years. About 71 per cent. of the population is agricultural. Among the foreigners the Chinese play an important part. In 1936 there were 28,147 Europeans, 48,770 foreign Orientals, 265,872 natives; total 342,789.

The climate is typically tropical there being only three-quarter of an hour's difference between the longest and the shortest day. The climate, however, shows one marked difference from that of other tropical regions for the influence of the sea and mountain-breezes moderates the heat during the day and prevents too fast cooling- off at night. The pressure is constant with a mean temperature of 80 F. maximum 95° F. and a rainfall of 130 inches. The wet season covers the period from December to May, the dry one from June to November.