384 TOBACCO LEAF. 



currency) for its crop. Starting with a capital of 

 $120,000 in 1869, in 1894 its capital was $1,608,000, 

 with a reserve fund of almost $2,000,000, besides paying 

 the enormous dividends alluded to. In the course of 24 

 crop years, the company delivered to the Amsterdam 

 market a total of 494,491 packages of tobacco, all its 

 own product, or about 79,000,000 Amsterdam pounds, 

 representing a value of $42,612,000, upon which a clear 

 profit was made and paid to shareholders, of more than 

 $11,457,000. This concern also handles the product of 

 other plantations, as much as 71,000 packages in one 

 year. This is done not only for the profit arising from 

 commissions on such sales, but to concentrate the entire 

 Sumatra tobacco market at Amsterdam. 



The plantations of this mammoth enterprise are 

 arranged and conducted in the most businesslike and 

 scientific manner. It employs over 16,000 workmen, 

 and the European personnel of experts and administra- 

 tors consists of 160 persons. Each of the 21 establish- 

 ments has its administrator, and four or five assistants. 

 The real office is at Medan, where is located an extensive 

 hospital for the help, and similar hospitals are provided 

 at other points. It has built fine roads, large canals for 

 water drainage, railroads, and other public works. 



The Deli Maatschappy's report shows that it was 

 instrumental in organizing a combination among the 

 planters to import coolie labor and pay it the lowest pos- 

 sible price. This policy involved certain features and 

 exactions that were most reprehensible, and the result of 

 which (in the ordinance of 1880) was to reduce the 

 coolies to a condition of practical slavery. One Chinese 

 coolie is employed to each one and three-fourths acres, 

 and is paid from $1 to $8 for each 1000 tobacco plants 

 delivered after the harvest. Japanese coolies get $6 a 

 month, half as much for women, and board themselves ; 

 other help and foremen getting $9 to $12 per month and 



