AGRICULTURAL CREDIT BANKS 123 



own: land, cattle, dwelling, or padi. The ordinary 

 native, however, still often acts in a different way in 

 regard to money as to other property, because money is 

 in many respects looked upon by him less as a means of 

 exchange than as a possession itself, or as a means of 

 purchasing unnecessary articles, and he has not yet learnt 

 to make a judicious use of it. 



As money, however, becomes more generally a means 

 of exchange amongst natives, and many articles which are 

 or have become indispensable *can now only be obtained 

 with money the native begins better to realize its value, 

 and therefore appreciates more and more its possession. 

 A want of social feeling, fear of theft, or of the demands 

 of embarrassed members of his family and of those 

 in power have certainly contributed to render him 

 careless with money and at first to undervalue its 

 possession, but as it got more appreciated these circum- 

 stances induced him to convert the money into easily 

 pledgeable ornaments, or to keep it in a place known 

 only to himself. The popular banks and the post office 

 savings bank have gradually altered this, and more 

 especially the system of compulsory saving. 



The native would deposit much more money in the 

 savings and other banks if this could be kept absolutely 

 secret. In many cases, when in want of money, the 

 natives would rather contract a loan than ask for the 

 return of their savings. 



The result achieved by the village banks and loem- 

 boengs has proved to the native that he need not imme- 

 diately spend his earnings without injury to his pocket, 

 and that gradually a community of property can be 

 established. 



Both institutions have rendered the ordinary man more 

 free in his movements by keeping him more out of the 

 hands of moneylenders, who try to secure for themselves 

 the produce, ground, or labour of the debtors. These 

 moneylenders cannot be blamed. It is necessary for 

 them to be able to rely absolutely on a regular supply of 

 labour and produce and to have the agricultural land at 

 their disposal. As long as the native, not being in want, 

 did not feel impelled himself to provide for these things 



