LABUAN
This, the smallest British Colony in Asia, was ceded to Great Britain by the Sultan of Brunei in 1846, and taken possession of in 1848. It is situated on the north-west coast of Borneo in latitude 5 deg. 16 min. N., and longitude 115 deg. 15 min. E. It has an area of 30 square miles, and is about six miles from the Borneo coast. Although Labuan possesses a fine port, has extensive coal deposits, and by situation seemed likely to become a depot for the trade of the north coast of Borneo, it has only partially fulfilled the expectations formed of it. The produce of Brunei finds a market in Labuan, but the volume of the trade is small. There are sago mills on the island, where the raw material is converted into flour, for export chiefly to Singapore. These mills were erected by influential Chinese introduced by the Governor from Singapore; they have also put up tapioca mills and have arranged to plant 500 acres a year until 5,000 acres have been planted. Coconuts are being planted on the same land. There is regular steamship cominunication with Singapore and Sandakan, as well as with the local ports. The Government was administered by the British North Borneo Company from 1890 until January 1st, 1906, when the Colonial Office again resumed direct control, and Labuan was incorporated with the Straits Settlements on January 1907. The population in 1911 was 6,546, of whom 34 were Europeans, the remainder being chiefly Chinese and Malays. The Chinese, who number about 1,800, are the chief traders, and most of the industries of the island are in their hands. The Europeans include Government officials, the staff of the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company, and traders. The Labuan Coalfields Company, Limited, are lessees of the coal mines in the island, but ceased operations in March, 1911. The export in 1910 was over 92,000 tons. The revenue is chiefly derived from the farming out of licences to sell tobacco, spirits, opium, and fish. It amounted in 1912 to 876,084 against 878,900 in 1911, the expenditure in the respective years being 899,199 and 8105,989. The value of imports and exports was as follows:-
1911
Imports- Exports-
$1,258,884
1,074,737
1912 81,286,713 1,147,341
DIRECTORY
RESIDENT'S OFFICE
Resident-Harvey Chevallier
Chief Clerk-Christopher G. Boyd Second-Fong Chung Fong
TREASURY AND DISTRICT OFFICE Treasurer District Officer and Collector of Land Revenue-Stanley E. Dennys
POST OFFICE
Postmaster-Stanley E Dennys Asst. Postmaster-G. A. Phillips Clerk--Awang Besar bin Ong Keat
Do. Hamid Sultan
Harbour OFFICE
Harbourmaster and Pilot--Capt. J. K.
Webster
Boarding Officer and Clerk-A. Razak
Import and Export Clerk-Ahmat-bin-
usoff
DISTRICT ANd Police Courts District Judge-Harvey Chevallier Acting Do. -F. W. Douglas
Asst. District Judge Magistrate of Police--
Stanley E. Dennys
Clerk of Courts, and Chinese Interpreter-
Chan Wai Sik
COLONIAL MEDICAL DEPARTMENT Medical Officer--T. C. A. Cleverton, M.R.C.S.,
L.R.C.P.
PUBLIC WORks and Survey DepartmENT Executive Engineer - Edmund Roberts,
M.I.MECH.E.
Chief Clerk and Draftsman-G. C. McGuire