Directory_and_Chronicle_1929 — Page 1374

PERLIS

1271

Kangar, the Government Headquarters, is a busy little town of about 2,000 inhabitants. The shop-keepers besides selling sundry goods also export padi-the staple product of the country-as well as ducks and fowls for the Penang market. The chief imports are cottons for native clothing, kerosene, tobacco and sundry odds and ends used by the Malay country people. H.H. the Raja lives at Arau, 6 miles from Kangar, on the Main Trunk Railway from Singapore to Bangkok. In 1910, the State Council abolished the general duty of 3 per cent. on imported goods and now the only goods taxed on import are spirits, beer, wine, tobacco, kerosene and petroleum. The general duty of 5 per cent. on exports has been abolished and replaced by duties on rice, tin-ore, rubber, jungle produce and other specific products, In 1346 (Mahommedan reckoning), 9,234 pikuls of tin-ore were exported. Many of the lime-stone hills of Perlis contain caves rich in guano deposits. The chief native cultivation is padi. Rubber is represented by a few native plantations which ex- ported 4,119 pikuls in 1346. [Note: 1 dollar=2s. 4d. 1 pikul-133} lbs.]

DIRECTORY

MEMBERS OF STATE COUNCIL

H.H. The Raja, Tuan Syed Alwi, C.B.E.,

president

Syed Hamzah, vice-president

The British Adviser

Syed Idrus

Haji Muhammad Nor

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

Adviser-L. A. Allen, M.C.S. Commissioner of Lands-Syed Idrus Judges-Haji Ahmad, Syed Hussin and

Syed Hassan

Collector of Customs-Syed Hassen

Treasurer-Haji Ismail

Chief of Police-Che Matt

Chief Kathi-Haji Muhammad Nor

PHILIPPINES' MONEY, MEASURES AND WEIGHTS

MONEY

The peso, equivalent in value to fifty cents, United States Currency, is legal tender in the Philippine Islands to any amount. So also are the United States gold coins. The media or half peso is legal tender up to ten pesos. Though the coinage is on a gold basis, no gold coins are in circulation, Government silver certificates are issued for ten, five, and two pesos, and the Banco Español Filipina of Manila issues bank notes for five, ten, twenty-five, fifty, one hundred and two hundred pesos.

MEASURES AND WEIGHTS

The official system is the Metric system, but weights of Spanish origin are still in com- mon use. The picul in the Philippines is 137.9 lbs., 16 piculs going to the ton.