FROM JAVA

Hokitika Guardian, 20 September 1928, Page 4

FROM JAVA

' CHAPLIN ON LEAVE. HIS WONDERFUL ISLAND. . WELLINGTON, September 17. The responsibility of boing chaplain to all finglish-speilking people of all denominations except the Roman Catholic in the Island of Java is carriby tlio Rev:; C. T. Gribb, who arrived by tlio Steamer Sussex on Saturday. Java is. a Dutch possession with an area of 50,000 square miles and n population of 40,000,000 people. Mr Cribb is on six months’ furlough which lie intends spending in New Zoaland. He is married to a Wellington lady and is accompanied by his wife and little son.

In explaining tlio nature of bis work Mr Cribb stilted that Java was wonderfully well icatered for so far as transport is concerned. The railway system was spjendid, while there wore excellent roads throughout the island. Ho instanced a settlement which bo had to visit where lie could go by motor 6000 feet up into the bill country and motor to every door of the plantation. Of the huge population tliero were only 500 or 690 Europeans, and they were scattered over the whole territory. So far as: churches were concerned be bad two largo communities, ono at Batavia and one at Su.raibaya. Ibo Batavia church would celebrate its centenary next year, but so ifar as Surabaya was concerned they were making a strong endeavour to raise funds to raise n bouse of worship there. He was constantly on tlio. move and held church in clubs, plantation bouses, or wherever lie could get a congregation to gather. As for the remainder of bis time, that was spent in personal visits. Speaking of Dutch Government, Mr; Cribb said efficiency v,-ns the keynote of the administration of the island. I -Was purely an agricultural country j The estates were owned by European!' j and worked by .the native population. J Experimental stations bad been cstahI lisliod in various centres, and so cfiV’ j cut were the scientists that v.-hat the* said constituted the last word in the application of scientific prinicplcs to cultivation. It>was surprising the Ire mentions amount of British capita: which was invested in Javn. So fains rubber plantations were concerned. 60 per cent., of the capital had been found by Britain, and tins ran into many millions of pounds sterling •Mentioning the. recent visit of Mr. Ormsby Gore to Java as representative of tlio British Government, Mr Cribb said the distinguished visitor was able to.speak to Mr Amerv at the Dominions office in London through the radiotelephone. The Dutch Administration maintains' daily i-ommunicaton by means of direct conversation with Holland.

Mr jCriljb spoke in enthusiastic terms of the native population, mentioning their agricultural proclivities and their law nbidirg qualities. As to their 'religion, tliqy were- nominally Mohammedans, but at heart they were animist, believing in spirits and ghost--and other ‘-manifestations. In eonelusion Mr Cribb spoke of the nature' beauties of the country, which was ijov beginning to attract tourists from a" parts of the world, there being so much of interest in the way of ancient temples and relics of the historic past.