SELANGOR
This protected State, containing an area of 3,150 square miles, lies on the western coast of the Malay Peninsula, and is bounded by the protected States of Perak on the north and of Negri Sembilan on the south, extending inland to the mountains in the centre of the peninsula, which divide it from Pahang and Negri Sembilan.
The Government consists of the Sultan, advised by the British Resident, and assisted by the State Council. The State is divided into the following six districts:- 1. Kuala Lumpur and Ulu Langat (formerly two districts) containing the town of Kuala Lumpur where the Residency and principal Government Oflices are situated, and which also contains the richest tin mines that have yet been developed, 2.- Klang. This district contains the Sultan's residence and also Port Swettenham, the principal port, which lies at the mouth of the Klang river. 3.-Kuala Langat, an agricultural district. 4.-Kuala Selangor, a coastal district containing large areas of developed and potential padi land. 5.-Ulu Selangor, a district adjoining Perak, containing much valuable mining land.
Each district is under the charge of a District Officer, from whom the Malay Penghulus (in charge of the inukims into which each district is sub-divided) receive instructions.
The Police Force consists of 29 gazetted and superior officers, 886 subordinate police officers and inen, and 65 detectives.
The population of Selangor in 1884, when the first census, was taken, was 46,568; but at the last census, in 1931, the returns gave a total of 533,197, of whom 241,351 were Chinese, 122,868 Malays, 185,924 natives of India, 2,723 Europeans, 2,137 Eurasians and 8,194 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 agriculture and the growth of staple products, such as rice and coconuts, by small-holders. Pineapple cultivated is a recent and thriving occupation and minor plantations of coffee and pepper have been successfully conducted. To encourage pioncer planters, grants of land have in recent years been made, on special terms, for the planting of African oil pain and nipah palm. But the principal agricultural product here, as in the other Malay States, is rubber. 743,065 acres of land were alienated for agricultural and building purposes by the end of the year 1933, comprising 503,000 acres under rubber, 111,900 acres under coconuts, 6,600 acres under coffee, 30,000 acres under padi, 20,300 acres under African oil palm and 23,300 acres under cultivation by native small-holders. The value of rubber exported in 1933 was $22,827,606.
The principal exports are rubber, tin, pineapples, copra and oil palm products. The principal imports are rice, petroleum, oils, cotton piece goods, manufactured foodstuffs, tobacco and livestock.
There were 49,839 acres alienated for mining-tin, chiefly-at the end of 1933. The recorded output of tin concentrate from the State amounted to 158,733 piculs as compared with 183,017 piculs in 1932. The value of this output at the average local price of tin of $99.99 per picul was $11,351,415 as against a total value of $9,423,935 at an average price of $69.73 for 1922. The Malayan Collieries, Ltd., turned out 218,247 tons of coal against 277,848 tons in 1932. The quality of the coal is reported to be
excellent.
There is frequent and regular communication, by means of coasting steamers, between the Straits Settlements and Selangor. From Kuala Lumpur the chief town on the mainland, a network of excellent arterial roads covers the State and extends into the neigbouring States of Perak, Negri Sembilan and Pahang while branch lines of the railway link the territory on the west to the main trunk line which passes through Selangor.