the title of Main Representative (Dutch: Hoofdvertegenwoordiger) but was called in practice for a long time Administrator. He maintained regular correspondence with the director and was also supervised by the Local Committee, which had a seat in Surabaya. Freight transport The transport of goods has always played an important role: when the tram company was founded, salt transport was considered to play an important role as a source of income. The production and sale of salt was a monopoly of the government in Indonesia. In the first annual report of Madoera Stoomtram Maatschappij, its director, M. Tromp, mentioned that salt transport could be expected to take place on this route, as the government had just begun pressing the salt into briquettes at the time of foundation. Therefore, it was expected that the entire supply of raw salt, briquettes and fuels could be handled by rail. The Governor-General was asked to set up the salt stores as close as possible to the steam tram stops. Upon completion of the route, the company hoped to take over the transport of salt supplies, which were transported from Sampang and Soemenep to the eastern residences of Java. However, the first public tender for salt transport showed that the tram could not compete with land transport. Although the tram later transported some salt, passenger, livestock and freight continued to be the main income of the company. Integration into the VNISTM The efficiency of the trams, which were relatively expensive in construction, fell short of expectations, which led to various financial restructuring. In order to get the local traffic better under control, smaller ship connections to the mainland of Java were operated and on the island itself were maintained from 1928 extensive bus connections. In 1911, the support fund for the employees of the NV Madoero Stoomtram Maatschappij was set up to regulate the social provisions for European and Indian personnel in the Dutch East Indies. In 1914, as part of a foundation, a savings and insurance fund for European and equivalent employees of NV Madoera Stoomtram Maatschappij was set up. It was intended to regulate pension provisions for European staff in the form of a capital or a pension. J. Th. Gerlings, the director of the Java-based "Vier Zuster-Maatschappijen", sent a letter to the directors of the other tram companies in 1917 proposing to set up a joint interest group. This initiative led to the