Directory_and_Chronicle_1926 — Page 1493

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STATE OF NORTH BORNEO

Sandakan and the whole territory by the now frequent calling of the three Aus- tralia-China lines--the Australian Oriental Line, the Eastern and Australian S.S. Co., Ltd., and the China and Australia S.S. Co., Ltd. The vessels originally came to Sandakan for bunker supplies only, but they are finding an increasing freight and passenger traffic and this should steadily expand. Most of the trade supplies are obtained from and through Singapore; and with Hongkong there is a brisk and increasing trade in timber. Flour and other food-stuffs are now being introduced from Australia, and the business is a fast growing one. Amongst the zoological productions of North Borneo are to be noted elephants, rhinoceros, deer of three kinds, wild cattle, proboscis monkey, orang-utang, pigs, bears and pythons.

Of game birds there are a few-argus, fireback, and bulwer pheasants, wild duck, many varieties of wild pigeon and doves, snipe, and quail.

Sandakan, the capital, has a magnificent harbour and is the chief place of trade. Jesselton, on the West coast, is developing, and several of the Government Departments are located there. It is also one of the termini of the State Railway. The imports include cloth, rice, hardware, manufactured goods of all kinds, Chinese tobacco, Chinese coarse crockery, matches, machinery, biscuits, oil, sugar, etc. The chief exports are rubber, tobacco, copra, timber, cutch, coal, native tobacco, rattans, gutta-percha, birds'-nests, seed pearls, bêche de mer, sharks' fins, camphor, tortoise-shell, beeswax, and other natural products, which are brought in from the interior, the neighbouring Sulu Archipelago, etc.

Coal is being worked in the S.E. of the territory. The Cowie Harbour Coal Mines at Silimpopon have extracted over 912,000 tons of coal since 1907. The coal is trans- ported from the colliery to the shipping port of Sebattik and to Sandakan by means of lighters, which have been built in Borneo. The development of the collieries has been largely increased during the past two years. The output during 1923 was 62,671 tons. A reserve of 8,000 tons is maintained at Sebattik, where coal is loaded by mechanical plant at a rate of about 750 tons daily, and about 2,000 tons are stocked at Sandakan, which port can accommodate vessels drawing up to 24/25 ft. of water, the coal wharf having been extended. The British Borneo and Burmah Petroleum Syndicate have acquired, under lease, a large tract of land on the west coast in the Klias Peninsula. They have also sunk wells in the Island of Mangalum.

Receipts in North Borneo amounted to £371,007 in 1924, as compared with £210,197 in 1913, the pre-war year. Expenditure was £225,633 in 1924, as compared with £115,545

in 1913.

Rubber is now the largest industry in the country, having displaced tobacco from the premier place; and coconut cultivation is becoming one of the features of the country, in which there are large areas still to be exploited. Cutch, which is extracted from mangrove bark, is being exported in rapidly increasing quantities. There are now many companies operating in North Borneo, the majority being engaged in rubber growing. Nearly 53,000 acres are under rubber cultivation. The rubber exported in 1924 was valued at £552,987, as against £560,982 in 1923. The export of copra was valued at £73,695 in 1924, as compared with £54,729 in 1923. The export of timber was valued at £199,879 in 1924, as against £185,627 in 1923. The value of other exports was: estate tobacco, £145,995; coal, £73,233; cutch, £36,419. The population of the town of Sandakan, the capital of the territory, according to the 1921 census, was 11,936 (as compared with 8,256 in 1911), composed of Europeans 99, Chinese 9,132, Javanese 550, Indians 165, Japanese 62, Malays 167, Filipinos 105, Sulus 391, natives of Borneo 1,149, and others 116. The British North Borneo State Railway has a total mileage of 127 miles. The main line runs for 56 miles through flat_country to Beaufort. From Beaufort to Tenom it runs through 30 miles of the Padas Gorge, noted for its beautiful scenery; and thence on through undulating country to Melalap, the present terminus. A branch line runs from Beaufort to the small port of Weston, à distance of about 20 miles. The railway is playing an important part in the develop- ment of the West Coast. Already there are 14 large rubber estates and numerous small holdings served by it, whilst the acreage under padi, sago and coconuts is steadily increasing. During the year 1923, the railway carried 166,889 passengers and 11,252 tons of goods The total revenue for 1923 amounted to $246,959 as against $257,157 in 1922. Sandakan is distant about 1,000 miles from Singapore, 1,200 miles from Hong- kong, and 660 miles from Manila. It became connected telegraphically with Labuan on the 7th May, 1897, and was thus placed in communication with Europe, etc. There are now seven wireless installations in the country-at Jesselton, Sandakan, Kudat, Tawao, Lahad Datu, Silimpopon and Lamag. The State Bank of North Borneo was