42 THE COCONUT BELT 



the conditions imposed having been unacceptable. 

 But those who are well represented on the spot by 

 men who possess sufficient local knowledge to ap- 

 proach the natives in the right way, are generally 

 able to make some very profitable " deals." 



The Dutch Government has, in recent years, made 

 the conditions of foreign ownership of land and 

 other property much easier, and all that is neces- 

 sary is to register a company, either in Java or in 

 Holland, to enable the British proprietor to secure 

 his title. While it is still necessary for all exports 

 from the Dutch Colonies to be shipped in vessels 

 flying the Dutch flag, this drawback has been over- 

 come, so far as British shippers are concerned, by 

 some of our British steamship companies placing 

 certain of their vessels under the Dutch flag, so 

 that the question of transport now presents no 

 difficulties. 



A considerable proportion of the coconuts and 

 copra produced in the Dutch East Indies is shipped 

 to Singapore, the principal regions, in their order 

 of importance as producers of coconuts, being: 

 Java, Borneo, Balit Lombok, Matina and Anambas 

 Islands, Celebes, the Moluccas, Sumatra and East 

 Coast, and Acheen. The value of these shipments 

 to Singapore aggregates about $15,000,000 per 

 annum. 



There is no doubt that the Dutch East Indies 

 constitute a lucrative field for the exploitation of 



