Directory_and_Chronicle_1911 — Page 1405

1358

JOHORE--FEDERATED MALAY STATES

Assist. Manager-R. A. Blair

R. B. Rode

L. S. Gauder

J. G. Rode L. Perreau

H. Darby

MENGKIBOL (CENTRAL JOHORE) RUBBER Co., LTD., Mengkibol, Johore: Postal Address: Sedenak, Johore

Manager--W. R. J. Hawtrey Assist. Manager-R. A. Blair Assistant--C. Dowlet

MUAR CLUB

President-The Hon'ble.DatoAbdullah

D.K.D.P.M.J.

Hon. Secretary-Inchi Abdullah bin,

Allic

Hon. Treasurer-Inchi Mohd. Taib

bin Abdullah

Clerk-Haron bin D. Melewah

ROYAL JOHORE TIN MINING CO., LTD.

Kota Tinggi, viâ Singapore Messrs. Huttenbach Bros., general

agents, Singapore

SAW MILLS, JOHORE STEAM-Johore Bharu

Fraser & Cumming, lessees

THEMANAH TIN SYNDICATE, LD.

V. Finkleston, general manager

FEDERATED MALAY STATES

The Protected States comprise four Residencies, namely, Perak, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, and Pahang. These have been federated, the federation taking effect from the 1st July, 1896, and the administration is presided over by a British Officer styled the Resident-General. Each State has its own Resident and the native rulers retain their titles and dignity. The head offices are at Kuala Lumpur, Selangor.

The record of these States is one of progress and prosperity. The revenue for 1909 was $25,216,683: the estimated revenue for 1911 is $27,096,421, and the expenditure $29,768,167, of which some five million dollars will be spent on railway extension. These States have 453 miles of railway (which have been paid for out of current revenue), yielding good income; they have 2,000 miles of roads; and over 1,000 miles of: telegraphs. Waterworks, wharves, hospitals, prisons, schools, and many other public buildings have been constructed, while the Government of Perak is engaged upon an important scheme of irrigation which will benefit about 60,000 acres of land and cost about $100,000. The principal sources of revenue and prosperity are the alluvial tin deposits which, at the present price of the metal, can be worked at considerable profit. About 600,000 tons of tin, worth over £50,000,000 sterling, have been exported during the last fifteen years. Tin has been worked in the Malay Peninsula for centuries, and it is believed it will still be produced there centuries hence. The industry has grown of recent years to very large proportions, but it would take a long time to work out the alluvial deposits in the lands already alienated, and these comprise but a fraction of the unexplored lands which still remain, where there is every reason to believe the mineral will be found in payable quantities. This only applies to alluvial deposits, No one can guess what are the reserves of ore in underground rock formations, as at Kwantan in Pahang, Slim in Perak, and Jelebu in the Negri Sembilan.

The export of tin from thee States in 1909 was valued at over $41,816,301, decrease of nearly two millions in value as compared with the returns for 1908. The Government has not overlooked the fact that in the export of tin its capital was being reduced, and it has made an effort to supply another and more useful invest- ment by the construction of Railways, with part at least of the revenue. Since British Protection the royalty on tin has yielded a total of over $60,000,000, and the Federated States have in the same time expended over $40,000,000 in the construction of railways. The profits give a return of over 6 per cent, on the capital expended.

Planting enterprise in the Federated Malay States has not hitherto proved very successful but that has not been due to any lack of enterprise or hard work on the part of the planters, who when one product failed tried another. The prospects of rubber, according to the High Commissioner, are so good that, unless some unforeseen disaster happens, the future is full of promise for those who have taken up this cultivation. Within the last few years great strides have been made in the planting of Para rubber. The total

1

*