Directory_and_Chronicle_1933 — Page 1823

SARAWAK-STATE OF NORTH BORNEO

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TAN SUM GUAN & SON, Merchants, In- | surance and Manufacturers' Agents and Dealers in Ice and Cold Storage-61, Ewe Hai Street; Teleph. 250; Cable Ad: Tansumguan; Codes: A.B.C. 5th. edn. Bentley's, Acme and Private

Tan Sum Guan, partner (signs for the

firm)

T. K. Choon, Correspondent to "The Malaya Tribune? S'pore T. K. Choon, F.C.I. (B'ham.), managing

partner (signs for the firm).

Agencies

1661

Union Assurance Society, Ld. (Fire) Commercial Union Assurance Co, Ld.

(Marine and Accident) Manufacturers Life Insurance Co. Ford Motor Co. of Malaya, Ld. Singapore Cold Storage Co., Ld. Rudge Whitworth, Ld., England Orange-Crush Co. (London), Ld. New Zealand Insurance Co., Ltd. Bata Shoe Company, Ltd. Toye and Company, Ltd., London

STATE OF NORTH BORNEO

This territory, formerly known as Sabal, situated at the northern end of the island of Borneo, has a coast line of about 500 miles. The population is made up of Malays, Bajaus, Dusuns, Sulus and Muruts, and at the census in 1931 numbered 270,223, which includes about 47,799 Chinese. The chief geographical feature in the territory is the mountain of Kinabalu, about 13,700 feet high. The principal river on the West coast is the Padas. On the East there are the Kinabatangan, Labuk, Sugut, Segama, and many other valuable rivers. The best harbours are those of Jesselton on the West coast, Kudat on the North, Sandakan and Cowie Harbour on the East, the two last-named being very spacious and possessing great potentialities.

The climate is particularly pleasant for the tropics; the days are rarely very hot, while a blanket is often required at night; and very little inconvenience is experienced from insect pests, such as mosquitoes and the like. Hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural disturbances, are almost unknown. The seas are teeming with fish, and there is a large export trade in dried and salted fish. Trade with Singapore, Hongkong and the Philippines is well established. A weekly steamship service is maintained between North Borneo ports and Singapore by the Straits Steamship Company, and steamers run regularly to Hongkong and the Philippines. A local fortnightly service is maintained by the Sabah Steamship Company to the West Coast ports, and a weekly service to the East Coast ports. There are in all four lines of steamships maintaining communication with North Borneo. Most of the trade supplies are obtained from and through Singapore; and with Hongkong there is a brisk and increasing trade in timber. Amongst the zoological productions of North Borneo are to be noted elephants, rhinoceros, deer of three kinds, wild cattle, proboscis monkey, orang-utan, pig, bears, pythons and crocodiles. Of game birds there are a few argus, fireback, and bulwer pheasants, wild duck, many varieties of wild pigeon and doves, snipe, and quail.

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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, edible 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.

Revenue in North Borneo amounted to £297,950 in 1931, as compared with £210,197 in 1913, the pre-war year. Expenditure in North Borneo was £285,013 in 1931 (in- cluding £34,155 for renewals, depreciation, etc.), as compared with £115,545 in 1913.

Timber and Rubber are now the largest industries 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