Supplement III - ‘Note on the present working of the gold standard in Java’ (1892) by A. Kensington

Summary

During my recent privilege leave I spent three weeks in Java, and took the opportunity of inquiring into the working of the gold standard and its effects as regards the four main classes of the country, namely: - (1) the Government; (2) the native population; (3) the merchants; and (4) the European planters.

2. On the way to Java I read carefully the collection of papers written for the Government of India in 1886 by Mr. Van den Berg, the then President of the Java Bank. These papers dealt with the financial and economical condition of Netherlands India during the previous 15 years, and specially with the effect of the currency system as finally organized in 1877. In addition, I had by me the book “Java, or how to manage a Colony,” written by Mr. Money in 1861, and a slight sketch of the history and condition of the island, entitled “Some Notes on Java.” written by Mr. H.S. Boys, late of the Indian Civil Service, after a short visit to the island in 1889. Mr. Money's book is still the standard English work on modern Java, though necessarily out of date in some important particulars, especially as regards the question of land administration. The sketch by Mr. Boys does not go into so much detail, but it substantially supports what had been said by Mr. Money nearly 30 years before regarding the great prosperity among the native population. My own time in the island was too short for an extended tour, but I visited several places in the western half of Java up to about 200 miles from Batavia, and saw much of the country and people in this section of the island. Beyond this, I had long conversations with Mr. Lavino, the Dutch Consul in Singapore; Mr. Lankester, the English Consul in Batavia; Mr. Van den Berg, a merchant in Batavia and brother of he author of the 1886 papers; Mr. Zeverijn, the present head of the Java Bank; other Dutch, English, and Italian men of business whom I met in Java; the officers of the Dutch steamers between Singapore and Batavia, and planters from Sumatra whom I came across between Penang and Singapore.