Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1172

This page needs to be proofread.

1120

NETHERLANDS : — DUTCH WEST INDIES

There is entire religious liberty. At the end of 1919 the numbers of the different religious bodies were : Reformed and Lutheran, 9,594 ; Mora- vian Brethren, 23,927 ; Roman Catholic, 19,319 ; Jews, 778 ; Mohammedans, 15,431 ; Hindus, 21,500, &c.

There were, in 1919, 33 public schools with 3,835 pupils, and 42 private schools with 7,020 pupils. There is a Government normal school.

There is a court of justice, whose members are nominated by the Sovereign. There are three cantonal courts and two circuit courts. .

The relations of the Government to pauperism are limited not only to subventions to orphan-houses and other religious or philanthropical in- stitutions, but the Government itself maintains an almshouse.

The local revenue, derived from import, export, and excise duties, taxes on houses and estates, personal imposts, and some indirect taxes, is shown as follows for 4 years in thousands of guilders : —

1918 1919

Expenditure Revenue Subvention —

4,941 4 624

3,130 3,186

1,811 1,437

1920 1921

Expenditu™ Revere

6,728 6,505

4,583 5,373

Subvention

2,145 1,131

The Dutch forces in Surinam consist of a civic guard and infantry, the latter containing, in 1919, 10 officers and 253 non-commissioned officers and men.

In 1919 sugar was produced to the amount of 7,580,512 kilogrammes; cacao, 1,318,269 kilogrammes; bananas, 480,438 bunches ; coffee, 1,282,954 kilogrammes; rice, 11,388,405 kilogrammes; maize, 1,430,355 kilogrammes ; rum, 706,422 litres ; and molasses, 173,705 litres.

In 1919 the export ot gold, mostly alluvial, was 556,642 grammes, valued at 892,569 guilders. Gold production in 1919 was 598,161 grammes, and of balata 492,886 kilos.

In 1919 there entered 178 vessels of 332,316 tons, and cleared 177 ships of 332,121 tons.

Impo

ts and exports

tor 6 years : —

Year

Imports

Exports

Tear

Imports

KxporU

1914 1915 1910

Guilders i-.,399,84d 5,445, 800 5,911,320

Guilders 6,472,041 0,'.M9,315 8,054,0' , 2

1917 1918 1919

Guilders 7,046,941 0, 157,727 6,940,144

Guilders 8.852,170 7,080,019 8,987,S70

Principal exports in 1919;— Sugar, 5,138,687 kilogs. ; rum, 234,908 litres ; cocoa, 1,669,617 kilogs.

The communication between several districts of the colony is carried on by vessels aud small steamers. A Colonial steamship service extends to British Guiana.

Vice-Consul at Paramaribo. — Rev. W. L. Kissack. Vice-Consul at Nickerie. — Chr. Spenqe.