AN INTERESTING COUNTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 72, 25 March 1915, Page 9

AN INTERESTING COUNTRY.

A TALK ABOUT JAVA.

Mr. J. T. Martin, of Christchureh, who has returned to New Zealand from Java, where he has been in the interests of consignees of cargoes on the liner- Wismar and other interned German vessels, gave some interesting information to a "Southland News" reporter during last week. °

Java, said Mr. Martin, i s a wonderful little country. It is called ''The Pearl of the Pacific," and will no doubt repay any visit, provided, of course, that the tourist does not stay long on th e island. It is not much larger than the South Island of New Zealand, being 668 miles long and 150 miles wide. Yet it employs 31,000,000 natives, 250,000 Chinamen, and 20,000 Arabs, who are admirably controlled by 69,000 Dutch. The natives are small, and very industrious and law-abiding. They do all the work of the country, and the result is that nearly every inch of land is cultivated. No finer sight to his (Mr. Martin's) mind could be imagined than the interminable ranges of ric e plantations covering miles and miles of territory creeping up the hill and mountain slopes to the highest points. Their system of irrigation is the wonder of the world. Java is said to be a land of templet, and volcanoes, and many tourists spend a large portion of their time visiting the wonderful temples, the chief of which is that called "Borobodoeor." Unless a man can speak Dutch it is no use for him to go to Java to compete against the Dutchmen in general trading or professional work. The lowest wage a clerk starts with is £200 per annum, and the average Dutch clerk receives £300 per annum. The managers of financial and trading institutions make very high money, considerably higher than the average in Australasia. A peculiar thing is that after" irien make an independence there they leave Java and reside in Europe". Nearly all the clerical positions ar e filled by Chinamen. Excluding tbe general managers and departmental heads of trading companies, and the managers and accountants of banks, the whole-of the.staffs are Chinamen. They are most industrious, honest, and shrewd, and totally different from the class of celestial to be seen in Australia and New Zealand. The half-caste Dutch and Javanese is the class from which all positions in the police force, post and telegraph, railways, and Customs are filled. In the early history of the Dutch there they intermarried a great deal with the native population, and tne official classes ultimately became largely half-castes. Most of the minor official positions to-day are filled b r them, but higher positions, such as the Government representatives, secretaries, etc., are, of course, pure Dutch. The railway service in Java is very creditable, and they have heavier engines than are to be seen in any part of Australasia. The trains are, however, never run at night, owing to the superstitious nature of the natives. Th c best time to visit Java is January, February, or March. Trading generally throughout the world is undergoing considerable changes, and already Java is looking round for opportunities of buying bam, biscuits, condensed milk, bottled beer, wines, flour, frozen meat, cheese, and-butter. New Zealand, howover, -is -somewhat-. -djsadvantageousTy places; as-all (goods .for-.Java- have to be first-sent, to-Sydney for transhipment, ..and the freight.in some cases would handicap New Zealand in competition with Australia.