CO882-(3-4) — Page 403

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

LLC.O. 882

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ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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nearly a month at a time, and latterly he has shown habits of intemperance which have led to his removal.

It is to be hoped that his successor will, under judicious supervision, interest himself in the general welfare of the people of Selangor, and take steps to improve the sanitary conditions of the village.

New quarters for the Collector are in course of construction in the fort, and they will be completed in about two months.

A new office for the Collector's clerk is much needed, and I believe a sum for this purpose will be placed on next year's estimates.

Four different Collectors were successively in charge of this station in 1877, and as one of them was a Malay, who could not write English, the books are not complete, nor have they been kept on any recognised plan.

There is, however, a permanent Malay customs clerk whose books I examined, and they have been well and neatly kept on a good system.

I took the opportunity to advise how the new Collector should keep his books in future.

I would suggest that the Resident be particularly advised to introduce at the out- stations the same system of collecting revenue by counterfoil receipt books, and of only making payments on vouchers, which I have already recommended in speaking of the head-quarters accounts.

The Collector, as I have said, lives in the fort on Bukit Selangor, but I found the safe, in which the Government.moneys are placed, is kept in a tumble-down attap office on the banks of the river, in whose charge I cannot say. I advised the Resident to have it removed to the Collector's quarters in the fort.

24. Birnam. This river forms the boundary between Perak and Selangor, and Raja Itam some years ago received the Sultan of Selangor's authority to reside here, take The Sultan of charge of the district, and appropriate the revenues for his own use.

Perak in 1875 confirmed this authority to Raja Itam, temporarily, allowing him to keep order on the Perak side of the river, as well as on the Selangor sides. In 1876 the Governments of Perak and Selangor agreed that this district, including both sides of the river, should be, as a temporary measure, under the Resident of Selangor; accord- ingly a Collector was stationed at Birnam to receive the revenues and divide them as follows:-to Raja Itam one third, the remaining two thirds in equal proportions to five members of his family. The revenue in 1877 was $4,635. The cost of the Collector's establishment and police is defrayed by the Selangor Government, and at the close of each year an account of the expenditure under this head is forwarded to Perak, and one half the expenses recovered from that State.

As I have already stated, it is now proposed, at Raja Itam's request, to pay him and his family fixed monthly allowances, the State treasury receiving the revenues of Birnam, and, I presume, any surplus or deficit will, in equal portions, be paid to or defrayed by Perak and Selangor. see no objection to this proposal, and it certainly appears that in a district so sparsely populated as Birnam, and where the total revenue is so small, one establishment will be cheaper than two, and will probably work better than if rival Collectors were established on each bank of the river. There appears to be some doubt as to the correct boundary between Perak and Selangor, to the interior of the junction between the Slim and Birnam rivers, and until that question is settled I certainly think it would be better to continue the arrangement of one Collector for both States.

As regards the accounts and system of collecting revenues and making disbursements, the remarks I have already made regarding Langat and Selangor apply equally here.

The Collector at Birnam is at present occupying a rented house, but new quarters for him on the Selangor, or left bank of the river, are almost completed, and in future he will reside there. The collecting station is 27 miles from the niouth of the river, in the immediate vicinity of the houses of Raja Itam and his people, and though it necessarily happens that the station is not easy to communicate with, still it is in the centre of the largest village, and at a point where the river is only about 250 yards wide. Were the collecting stations at the mouth of the river, which is nearly two miles wide, I do not think the collections of the customs could be so satisfactorily conducted as under present circumstances. The Birnam River is one of the finest in the peninsula, and drains a rich but almost uninhabited country. In the interior there is a considerable tin-producing district, but its distance from the sea, and the difficulties of transporting thither the necessaries of life, will probably tend greatly to retard the progress of Birnam, and it will be many years before this province can show results as satisfactory as have been obtained elsewhere in Selangor and Perak.

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25. Kwala Lumpor.-An hour and a half by steam launch, and then a ride of 15 miles along the Damansara road, brings one to Kwala Lumpor, a busy, thriving, and populous village, entirely made and so far administered by Ah Lai, the Captain China.

In this village live the Chinese capitalists and traders, who employ some 20,000 men in the surrounding mining districts, supply their wants, receive the tin, and ship it on board boats for Penkalen Batu, the centre government, usually called Klang. Of the Damansara road 12 miles are finished, but not metalled, and an arrangement has just been made with the Captain China to complete the remaining 34 miles in liquidation of The road is a good one, an old-standing debt of his to the Selangor Governinent.

the work well done, and the bridges workman-like and substantial. The hills are few, and the gradients not very severe.

I noticed, however, that the road is very wide, quite 30 feet; the result of this is great cost in original construction, a difficulty in preserving the proper form of the road, viz., higher in the centre than at the sides; only a portion of the surface is ever used for traffic, and the remainder becomes overgrown with grass, in which the rain water lies, and so destroys the road. I think 20 feet wide would be ample in all cases for such a road as this. would recommend that the 34 miles still uncompleted should be con- structed of this breadth.

When the metalling is put on I would suggest that only 20 feet be metalled right through; not only would this greatly lessen the cost in the first instance, but also in the upkeep of future years.

I think it unlikely that this road will be used to convey produce from or necessaries to Kwala Lumpor, as long as the river is in a state to permit of easy navigation, but in droughts, when the river falls too low for boats, the road will be a good alternative route, whilst for passengers it is already availed of to a considerable extent, and when completed this traffic will certainly increase.

26. A very large tract of country has been cleared and planted round what will be the Kwala Lumpor terminus of this road. I believe the Captain China has done the most of this work. Two Europeans from Singapore have taken up land on the sides of the road for planting purposes, and have begun clearing.

The Captain China some years ago made, at his own expense, roads from the best mining country into the town of Kwala Lumpor; and, besides his recent efforts in clearing and cultivation, he has established a brickfield and kiln, and already produced a large number of most excellent bricks and tiles. The latter he proposes to send to the Singapore market, hitherto supplied from Hong Kong. The clay of which these tiles are made is of a peculiar quality, which enables them to be made at once thin and light, whilst they are stronger and more durable than the ordinary roofing tile.

26. A few houses have been added, but otherwise, Kwala Lumpor is now much the same in appearance as when I last saw it in 1875.

The Captain China keeps order in the place, and so well, that since the country returned to peace in 1874, there has never been a serious disturbance in the districts. There are only half a dozen police stationed at Kwala Lumpor. The Captain China has the powers of a magistrate, and settles small cases himself.

The Resident visits Kwala Lumpor once a month, and holds court there for the trial of more serious offences.

The Superintendent of Police told me he thought it would require a very considerable force of police to preserve in Kwala Lumpor and the neighbourhood the same peace and security now obtained by the Captain China's influence.

The want of a Government building in the nature of a court-house is much felt in Kwala Lumpor, and I think it would be advisable to devote a small sum to this purpose.

The time from Klang to Kwals Lampor is about seven hours, but, if might be done in little over four hours.

pecessary,

it

27. Klang Government Offices.-As regards the public buildings in Penkalen Batu, the Government offices are large, commodious, and conveniently arranged; the building is substantial and in a good situation, and it is in very fair repair; in this respect nothing appears to be needed.

28. Police. The police force numbers in all about 230 men, under a European super- intendent, an inspector, and a number of Native non-commissioned officers. Of these the superintendent and about 100 men are stationed at Penkalen Batu, the remainder being spread over a number of small stations.

About 25 men are constantly on duty in Penkalen Batu, leaving a reserve of some 75 to draw upon for emergencies, but 12 of these form the Resident's guard, and are stationed usually at his house. The police quarters in the fort are commodious and

L 724.