SELANGOR
1339
State. 5.-Ulu Langat, an inland mining district on the borders of Negri Sembilan. 6.-Ulu Selangor, a district adjoining Perak, containing much valuable mining land, as yet comparatively undeveloped.
Each district is under the charge of a European District Officer, from whom the Native Penghulus (in charge of the mukims into which each district is sub-divided) receive instructions. The Police Force consists of 20 European and three Malay officers and 963 native non-commissioned officers and nien.
The population of Selangor in 1884, when the first census was taken, was 46,568; but at the last census, in 1921, the returns gave a total of 398,434, of whom 170,725 were Chinese, 89,676 Malays, 132,114 natives of India, 2,475 Europeans, 1,561 Eurasians and 1,883 others.
The principal industries of the State, and those from which it derives the largest portion of its revenue, are alluvial tin mining and rubber cultivation.
In addition to its rich mineral resources, the State possesses large tracts of land well adapted for agricultural purposes, and the removal of restrictions on the free importation of Indian labourers into the Protected Native States rendered it possible for European planters to obtain cheap labour and to open estates on a large scale. Small plantations of coffee, cocoanuts and pepper have been successfully con- ducted; rice and other products of the Peninsula under native cultivation are doing well in various parts of the State; and, to encourage pioneer planters, grants of land have in recent years been made, on special terms, for the planting of cane sugar, African oil paim and nipah palm. But the principal agricultural product here, as in the other Malay States, is rubber. There were 645,109 acres alienated for agricultural purposes at the end of the year 1923, comprising 392,458 acres under rubber, 93,649 acres under coconuts, 19,680 acres under rice and 20,862 under kampong cultivation. During 1923, large areas for sugar and African oil palm were applied for. The value of rubber exported in 1923 was $48,129,209.
The
The principal exports are tin, rubber, tapioca, canes, copra and spices. principal imports are machinery, cotton piece goods, rice, oil, tobacco and tea. The only import duties are on opium, spirituous liquors, matches, petroleum, motor spirit, tobacco and alum, while export duties are payable only on minerals, agricultural products, ivory, fish, horns and hides, a few kinds of jungle produce and guttapercha. The export duty on tin has amounted in recent years to about three million dollars a year, the duty on the gross value of the tin being, roughly, 13 per cent. There were 57,550 acres alienated for mining at the end of 1923, mostly for tin. Tin and tin ore exported amounted to 184,728 piculs against 191,734 in 1922. The value was $18,796,074, as compared with $15,461,396 in 1922. The Malayan Collieries, Ltd., is now at work at Rantau Panjang and turned out 320,000 tons of coal against 281,828 tons in 1922. The quality of the coal is reported to be excellent. A branch railway has been constructed to the mine.
There is frequent and regular communication, by means of coasting steamers, between the Straits Settlements and Selangor. From Kuala Lumpur a system of cart and bridle roads extends to the boundaries of Perak, Negri Sembilan and Pahang. Branch lines of railway
extend in all directions, and the main trunk line passes through Selangor. Port Swettenham is the terminus of the railway on Klang Straits, and wharves have been constructed there capable of accommodating ocean-going steamers. The number of merchant vessels, other than native craft, enter- ing the port in 1923 was 973, as compared with 999 in 1922. There entered 355 ocean- going steamers against 340 in 1922.
Telegraph lines connect Selangor with the other States in the Malay Peninsula; telephones are established throughout the State, and postal and telegraph offices are to be found in all the towns and principal villages.
The State revenue in 1923 amounted to $26,396,948, against $20,873,174 in 1922, and the expenditure to $21,062,466, against $19,247,359 in 1922. The balance of assets over liabilities was $16,621,452 Trade statistics were as follow:-
Imports.. Exports.
1922 $39,055,945
49,374,195
1923 $45,113,736 74,288,350