Directory_and_Chronicle_1917 — Page 1337

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SINGAPORE

In recent years there has been a great development of pineapple cultivation in Singapore. Extensive areas of waste ground covered with secondary jungle have been cleared and planted with pineapple for tinning; the whole of this business appears to be in the hands of Chinese. Considerable interest has also been shown in the cultivation of rubber, oil-grasses, lemon-grass and citronella, as well as indigo, vegetables, pepper and ground nuts. Coconut cultivation increased rapidly for a time, but there is some tendency, especially among the Chinese, to substitute rubber for coconut, which has been officially declared to be "not an advisable policy."

Singapore offers but few points of salient interest to visitors, the Botanical Gardens at Tanglin, the Wateworks in Thomson Road, and the Raffles Library and Museumi being its only show places. A considerable mileage of electric tramway is now in operation. A railway across the island was sanctioned by a vote of the Legislative Council in 1899, and was opened for traffic on 1st January, 1903. An extension to the Tanjong Pagar Docks and neighbourhood was sanctioned and now runs as far as Pasir Panjang. This line of fourteen miles was the first section of a projected Malay Peninsula and India Railway, passing through and opening up the countries of Joliore, Malacca, the Native Malay States, soine Siamese territory and Burma, on to Calcutta. The Railway now runs direct from Singapore to Penang, and has been extended on the West Coast into Kedah to join up with the Siamese railway system, The railway has also been constructed from a junction at Gemas, near the northern boundary of Johore, through the eastern State of Pahang, and will eventually be extended through Kelantan to from another link with the Siamese railway system on the East Coast. The Singapore Railway was purchased in 1913 for £482,533 by the Federated Malay States Government from the Colonial Government in order to unify the British Malayan raily

lway system under one management. There is a train ferry between the Island of Singapore and the mainland, but plans have been prepared for the construction of a ailway bridge across the Straits of Johore, and it is proposed to make this bridge r ccessible for motor and foot traffic. The distance from Singapore to Calcutta is just

a

ver 2,000 miles.

DIRECTORY

COLONIAL GOVERNMENT

Governor, and Commander-in-Chief-Sir Arthur H. Young, G.C.M.G. Aide-de-Camp-(Officiating as) M. E. Sherwood

Private Secretary-M. E. Sherwood Clerk-W. Bachelor

His Excellency the Governor, President General Officer Commanding the Troops Hon. Colonial Secretary

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

Hon. Attorney-General Hon. Colonial Treasurer Hon. Colonial Engineer

Clerk of Councils, E. C. H. Wolff

COUNCIL

Hon. Resident Councillor of Penang

LEGISLATIVE

His Excellency the Governor, President General Officer Commanding the Troops Hon. Colonial Secretary

Hon. Resident Councillor of Penang Hon. Attorney-General

Hon. Treasurer

Hon. Colonial Engineer

Hon. C. J. Saunders

Hon. Dr. W. G. Ellis

Hon. H. W. Firmstone

Hon. A. R. Adams

Hon. C. H. Niven

Hon. W. W. Cook

Hon. C. W. Darbishire

Hon. J. Mitchell

Hon. F. M. Elliot

Hon. C. I. Carver

Hon. Dr. Lim Boon Keng

Clerk of Councils-E. C. H. Wolff Shorthand Reporter (vacant)

W. A. Wilson (acting)

(For Government Departments see under G.)