The Amsterdam Colonial Institute

Abstract

FOR some years past a movement has been in progress in Holland having for its object the foundation of a colonial institute in Amsterdam commensurate with Dutch colonial interests, and adequately representative of the important part which Holland has taken in the prosecution of research in tropical agriculture and forestry. There has existed at Haarlem for many years a small, but important, colonial museum, nnd the promoters of the new institute have fortunately been able to secure the transfer of the economic collections, publications, and staff of the Haarlem museum to the Amsterdam institute. The latter is at present housed in temporary quarters, but the authorities have in hand a capital sum of about 1,600,000 florins, which is- apparently all available for the construction of buildings and the installation of the new institute. The latter will apparently be supported mainly by subsidies from the Government, the province-of North Holland, and the city of Amsterdam, and by subscriptions from private individuals and firms. In 1914 the ordinary annual expenditure was 91,600 florins, but for 1915 the estimate is 78,000 florins, certain of the subsidies having been cut down owing to war economies.