Stories from Deli

Turning now to the discussion of the opium crime on the East Coast, I must bring forward some arguments to highlight the importance of the question. According to the latest report of the opium directorate, the gross reception in the East coast region of Sumatra in the year 1918 was NLG 9,447,200 against NLG 8,680,408 in 1917, so in 1918, 8.8 pCt increase

May it be considered correct that what is to be read on page 44 of that report, namely that on the outdoor possessions 85 pCt. of the gross receipts is for the account of Chinese therefore also to the east of Sumatra, Then in 1918 the Chinese spent NLG 8,000,000 on that fruit plum and in 1917 more than NLG 7,350,000. These amounts, which already speak for themselves, are given several meanings when compared with the following figures. 

In 1917, 43600 Chinese workers worked at the various companies, who jointly earn NLG 450,800 or NLG 5,493,607 per year at the rate of 35 cents per day over 30 full working days per month. From this amount, 43,600 X 12 X 30 X 15 and = NLG 2,354,400 are deducted from this amount, so that the coolies do not get more than NLG 3,139,200, of which an amount still has to be deducted that is necessary for the purchase of clothes. Consider that in the largest center, Medan, there are only 13,000 Chinese, most of whom are not opium scrapers and elsewhere about 60,000 male Chinese residents, then by comparing the two figures 3 and 7 million, the assertion is not bold, a assertion on the East coast has been heard from many mouths, that quite – well, all the merits of the Chinese coolies, except for what they need for the essential had to give up and the relatively small amounts of money sent to China, in opium disappeared and ended up in the treasury. My question is, Mr. Chairman, how will the government maintain this situation? 

De Locomotief, 26-11-1919