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the white man will be a doubtful benefit to tho lul)ourer, 

 since it will open the way to greater commercial activity, 

 which will lead to the gradual alienation of the land to 

 capitalists, give an unnatural stimulus to the population, 

 and inevitably introduce the evils of feverish competition, 

 ])auperism, and crime, from which the country has 

 hitherto been comparatively free. European rulers, im- 

 bued with ideas of freedom of labour and of commerce, 

 will not understand that a child-like people can only be 

 raised to independence and national manhood by means 

 of a paternal government. It may safely be predicted 

 that if the Dutch Government freely throw open Java to 

 the world, the result will be that many capitalists will 

 make fortunes, but the native inhabitants will not be 

 benefited. But the system must be judged by its results. 

 The island may have been " bled to the extent of nearly 50 

 millions of pounds for the benefit of the mother-country," 

 as has been alleged, but this bleeding has been done without 

 any oppression of the natives, who are well fed, decently 

 clothed, and as happy and contented as any people are 

 likely to be under the rule of an alien race. One of the 

 best tests of the general well-being of a community is 

 that of the growth of the population ; for where this is 

 steadily increasing, where there is no pauperism, where 

 serious crime is rare, and where famine and rebellion on 

 any important scale are almost unknown, the Government 

 cannot be otherwise than suitable to the people governed. 

 This is the case with Java. In 1850 the population was 

 about 9^ millions, in 1890 it had increased to 23 

 millions, and notwithstanding that a large portion of its 

 surface is covered with virgin forest and lofty mountains, 

 it supports a population of greater density than Great 

 Britain. With such facts as these before us, it must be 

 conceded that however theoretically wrong the " culture- 



