Directory_and_Chronicle_1922 — Page 1425

SELANGOR

This protected native State, containing an area of about 3,200 square miles, lies on the western coast of the Malay Peninsula, and is bounded by the protected native States of Perak on the north and Negri Sembilan on the south, extending inland to the mountains in the centre of the peninsula, which divide it from Pahang and Jelebu.

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, the central district, where the Residency and principal Government Offices are situated, and which also contains the richest tin mines that have yet been developed. 2.--Klang, in which Port Swettenham, the principal port, is situated at the mouth of the Klang River. 3.-Kuala Langat, an agricultural district, in which the Sultan resides. 4.-Kuala Selangor, containing the most important fisheries in the State. 5.—Ulu Langat, an inland mining district on the borders of Negri Sembilan. 6. Ulu Selangor, a district adjoining Perak, containing much valuable mining land, as yet comparatively undeveloped.

Each district is under the charge of a European District Officer, from whom the Native Penghulus (in charge of the mukims into which each district is sub-divided) receive instructions. The Police Force consists of twenty European and three Malay officers and 919 native non-commissioned officers and men.

The population of Selangor in 1884, when the first census was taken, was 46,568; but at the last census, in 1921, the returns gave a total of 398,434, of whom 170,725 were Chinese, 89,676 Malays, 132,114 natives of India, 2,475 Europeans, 1,561 Eurasians and 1,883 others.

The principal industries of the State, and 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 agricultural purposes, and the removal of restrictions on the free importation of Indian labourers into the Protected Native States rendered it possible for European planters to obtain cheap labour and to open estates on a large scale. Small plantations of coffee, cocoanuts and pepper have been successfully con- ducted, and rice and other products of the Peninsula under native cultivation are doing well in various parts of the State, and to encourage pioneer planters, large grants of land have in recent years been made, on special terms, for the planting of sago, pepper, and gambier. But the principal agricultural product here, as in the other Malay States, is rubber. There were 630,946 acres alienated for agricultural purposes at tlie end of the year 1920, comprising 409,257 acres under rubber, cocoanuts 62,217 acres, rice 15,534, and under kampong cultivation 37,483. During 1920, large areas for sugar and African oil palm were applied for. There were 30,570 tons of rubber exported in 1919; the export in 1920 was 39,839 tons, valued at $69,256,250.

The principal exports are tin, rubber, hides, tapioca, canes, rattans, coffee, copra, spices and guttapercha. The principal imports are machinery, cotton piece goods, rice, oil, tobacco and tea. The only import duties are on opium, spirituous liquors, matches, petroleum, motor spirit, motor vehicles, bicycles, etc., and tobacco and cigars, while export duties are payable only on minerals, agricultural products, ivory, fish, horns and hides, a few kinds of jungle produce and guttapercha. The export duty on tin has in recent years amounted to about three million dollars a year, the duty on the gross value of the tin being, roughly, 13 per cent. There were 67,433 acres alienated for mining at the end of 1920, mostly for tin. Tin and tin ore exported amounted to 162,392 piculs against 190,160 in 1919. The value was $24,626,737 as compared with $22,962,167 in 1919. Of wolfram 3,367 piculs and of scheelite 3,831 piculs were exported. The Malayan Collieries, Ltd., is now at work at Rantau Panjang, and turned out 247,911 tons of coal against 191,293 tons in 1919. The quality of the coal is reported to be excellent. A branch railway has been constructed to the miɩ e.

There is frequent and regular communication, by means of coasting steamers, between the Straits Settlements and Selangor. From Kuala Lumpur a system of cart and bridle roads extends to the boundaries of Perak, Negri Sembilan and Pahang. Branch lines of railway now extend in all directions, and the main trunk

Page 1425Page 1426