A note on the problem of shrinking of the cultivation of sugar plantations in Java at the end of 1910s

From about the end of 1917 until 1920 Netherlands India fell into serious shortage of provisions because of the stop of rice import, etc. In this circumstance the colonial government announced a plan of 20 or 25%'s shrinking of the cultivation of sugar plantations in Java in 1918. This was welcomed by the nationalist groups, but the planters made objections fiercely. After all, this plan wasn't excuted in that year, . At the end of that year, however, perhaps because of the much worse situation of rice import and bad weather condition the colonial government issued a draft of regulation which stipulated the way of shrinking in 1919 detailly. After that time this was one of the most serious themes of dispute between the nationalist groups and the capitalists group of the planters in Volksraad in February and March. The points of issue were as follows, whether this shrinking should be helpful for food supply or not and whether this should worsen the people's economic conditions or not. After fierce discussions Volksraad voted against this plan, and finally in May the colonial government decided to cancel this plan