Page:
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
Next
The prosperity of the States is shown by the fact that for the six years following the World War there was a considerable trade balance ; and for the years 1919, 1923, 1924, 1925 and 1926 the estimated value of the ex ports, which consist chiefly of tin, rubber and copra, was well over twice that of the imports. The value of the exports in 1926 was 151,986,691. The export of tin-ore reduced to a metallic basis and of block tin was 45,956 tons in that year, valued at 13 million L.
Tin-mining continues to be the chief industry in Perak and Selangor and rubber the chief industry in Negri Sembilan and Pahang. Other ores produced are tungsten (wolfram and schee lite) and gold. The Raub gold mine in Pahang is the only gold mine now working in these States ; but alluvial gold is recovered in various places. Coal also is produced at Rawang in Selangor, the tonnage averaging between 350,000 and 400,000 tons annu ally. Government assistance to rubber growers was given by the Export of Rubber (Restriction) Enactment under which the percentage of release of stocks at the minimum duty rose or fell according to the ruling market price. By this means a fair price was obtained for growers, and many plantations were saved from ruin. In 1926 the rubber exported was valued at £35,500,000. Owing however to the increased output of rubber in the Dutch Indies, the reclamation of used rubber and other causes, restric tion was removed in 1928. The Government makes a grant to the Rubber Growers' Association in connection with propaganda for new uses and markets for rubber. The establishment of a rubber research institute was approved in 1924, to be maintained by a special export duty on rubber. Important research work had been done, before this. A Government experimental agricultural farm exists at Serdang near Kuala Lumpor. Coconuts and rice are widely grown in Perak, Selangor and Negri Sembilan. The value of copra exported in 1926 was .f1,5oo,000. The timber industry is in process of development, and the question of the exploitation and conversion of timber is receiving the active consideration of the Government. Already there are some 5,000 sq.m. of forest reserves, and the areas are being extended. The commercial tim bers of the country are being scientifically investigated, and the distillation of native woods has been made a subject of research. The principal sources of revenue are export duties on tin and rub ber, railway receipts, land and forest revenue, excise and chandu monopoly.
Communications in the Federated Malay States keep pace with the growing requirements of the tin and rubber industries. There are 2,500 miles of metalled road. The total length of line now open to traffic under the Federated Malay States railway administration is over 1,000 miles. This includes the Johore state railway, which at Gemas branches into the west coast line to Prai and to the Siamese frontier; and the east coast line, which runs northward towards Tumpat. The Kelantan sec tion is being extended southward to the east coast line to pro vide direct communication between Kelantan and Singapore. Through traffic, over the west coast line, with the Siamese state railways was opened in 1918, and between the Federated Malay States and Kelantan via the Siamese railway in 1921. The Johore causeway, which connects Singapore with the peninsula, was opened in 1924. The causeway carries two lines of rails and a roadway; its total length is 3,465 ft. and its average headway at low tide is 47 feet.
In 1919 important movements for the extension of education were set on foot, despite difficulties encountered in increasing the number of teachers and the improvement of the teaching standard. Scholarships are now given to Raffles college, Singapore. A Malay college is established at Kuala Kangsar; the Sultan Idris training college provides Malay vernacular teachers; and there are many Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools. There is a Trade School at Kuala Lumpor, at which Malays have been especially successful. And a Technical college and an Agricultural college are about to be started.
Perak is situated between the parallels of 3° 37' and 6° 5' N. and 1 oo° 3' to ioi° 51' E. on the western side of the Ma lay peninsula. It is bounded on the north by the British posses sion of Province Wellesley and the Malay state of Kedah; on the south by the protected native state of Selangor; on the east by the protected native states of Pahang, Kelantan and the Siamese state, Patani; and on the west by the Straits of Malacca. The coast-line is about 90 m. in length. The extreme distance from the most northerly to the most southerly portions of the state is about 172 m., and the greatest breadth from east to west is about 10o m. The total area of the country is estimated at 7,800 atm.