50 ADDRESS BY ME. KRUYT 01^ 



at tlie head supported by Native assessors. There, justice is ad- 

 ministered according to the same laws and regulations as in the 

 Straits, but with reference to ^^adcif and religion. In this res- 

 pect, Natives and Chinese are on the same footing as Europeans. 



Mr. DEE KijS"deee:n-. — Is the adoption of children regulated by 

 law? Are the usages of China followed? 



Mr. Ketjtt. — I cannot say that. I know there are Chiuese 

 who adopt children but I do not know what the laws are as re- 

 gards the adoption of children. 



Mr. YAN HoFTEN. — Mr. President, there is still another ques- 

 tion that I should like to ask the honourable gentleman. It is 

 said that three-fourths of the trade of Penang is with Sumatra. 

 That is perhaps exaggerated on our side, but if half of it is with 

 Sumatra it is important enough, and for that reason I should like 

 to ask the honourable gentleman if, in his opinion, it is not pos- 

 sible to divert a part of that trade to our territory by making 

 either Belawan or Telok Semawe free ports, so that we could have 

 great depots where ships could unload, and what was sold could 

 be shipped to the different districts in the neighbourhood. 



Perhaps other means might be found and employed, as the por- 

 tion of Penang is naturally very strong. The commercial houses 

 there are now firmly established and have a fixed business with 

 all kinds of steam and sailing vessels; they have their agents and 

 correspondents everywhere, so that it will be difficult to win trade 

 away from them. However, I think the matter is worth some ex- 

 ertion, as we should get not only the export trade into our hands 

 but the import trade too, which is certainly not less important. 



Mr. Keutt.^ — Pepper can certainly be brought elsewhere. Since 

 the establishment of the Koninklijke Nederlandsche Paketvaart- 

 maatschappij, a step has been made in that direction, where the 

 freights are not opposed to it. It is established that cheap freights 

 are the most important factor in this matter, and now that the 

 ships of the Paketvaartmaatschappij visit the whole island of Su- 

 matra, this is, in a great measure, in their hands. Trade gen- 

 erally goes where it is served most quickly, most easily and most 

 cheaply. Where these factors exist, viz., cheap, quick and easy 

 dealing, there will trade certainly be attracted. As soon as ar- 

 ticles can be obtained as cheap and as goi . from Batavia as from 

 Penang, they may be brought from there to Deli. The creation 

 of free ports will, I believe, be of little assistance. The declar- 

 ing of Belawan to be a free port will not divert trade. Many 



