Directory_and_Chronicle_1915 — Page 1460

Directories & Chronicles 香港指南 All

KELANTAN

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at Kota Bahru, and at the Government School established here nearly 300 children are enrolled, including four members of the royal house.

Chiefly agricultural, Kelantan is believed to be rich in minerals, and much prospect- ing may be expected to be done in the next few years. The chief exports are padi and rice, copra and rubber, cattle and dried fish. The climate is comparable with other parts of the Peninsula. The temperature seldom exceeds 90' and rarely falls below 69°, while the average rainfall is about 120 inches a year.

Mr. J. Scott Mason, the British Adviser, took over the supervision of affairs from Mr. W. A. Graham, the Siamese Commissioner, on July 15, 1909; and the most important happening since then was the determination in 1912 of the agreement between the Sul- tan and the Duff Development Company, and the resumption by the Government of the sovereign powers conceded to the company over nearly two-thirds of the State. A new working agreement has been prepared under which the Government of Kelantan undertakes to pay to the company a sum of £300,000 sterling and to grant to them the following rights: (a) The sole right to select blocks of land for agricultural purposes, amounting in the aggregate to not more than 50,000 acres; (b) the sole prospecting. rights for minerals over the area of the concession; and (c) the sole prospecting right over an area of approximately 78 square miles in the Sokor district, and the right to take up mining leases and certain other rights.

About thirty miles of the railway which is to connect the F.M.S. and Siamese systems is completed in Kelantan, southwards from Tumpat, and work on the extension southwards to the Pahang border is in progress, opening up the State for planting and mining.

According to the census of 1911 the population is 286,751. There is a police force of 232 men.

In 1909, the revenue amounted to $370,959 and the expenditure to $377,062. In 1912, the revenue had risen to $535,669 and the expenditure to $665,608. The public debt at the transference of the suzerainty was $150,000, upon which Siam charged 6 per cent. This debt was taken over by the F.M.S., interest being reduced to 4 per cent. The debit balance of the State at the end of 1912 was $279,956. The value of the imports in 1912 was $2,729,912 and of exports $1,529,827-a total of $4,259,739 against $3,743,615 in 1911. The principal imports were: cotton piece goods, sarongs, machinery, planks, kerosene, opium, tobacco, salt and woollen goods. The value of exports from Kelantan to Singapore in 1912 amounted to $1,562,066 against $1,724,108 in 1911; and of imports from Singapore $2,078,994 in 1912 against $1,779,634 in 1911. Shipping amounted to 238,339 tons. There is regular steamship communication with Singapore.

About 138,349 acres were under cultivation in 1912. This comprised 94,050 acres devoted to padi, 26,699 to coconuts, and 17,650 to rubber. The export of rubber in 1912 was about 50 tons. The export of copra was 76,436 piculs in 1912. A large Chinese- firm from Singapore has started a coconut oil mill below Kota Bahru, in addition to sago and padi mills, and coconut oil now appears amongst the exports. Over 70,000 coconuts were exported. 2,434 head of cattle, 670 sheep, and 108,372 head of poultry were exported to Singapore in 1912. The export of tin-ore in 1912 amounted to 323. piculs against 462 piculs in 1911, and of gold 2,976 ounces against 3,395 in 1911.

Directory_and_Chronicle_1915 — Page 1460

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