BRITISH MALAYA 625 



her of European unofficial members from three to two has been severely criticised. Com- 

 mittee work is perhaps the most important part of the work of the council and no committee 

 can be counted complete without one European unofficial member on it. With only two 

 members available it will hardly be possible to provide a representative on every committee. 



Under the Excise Ordinance of 1911 introducing the Madras system into Ceylon 1140 

 "toddy" taverns have been recently opened under Government regulation. This has led 

 to protests being lodged with the Secretary of State in London by the Native Races and 

 Liquor Traffic United Committee and by many influential native gentlemen. 



Education has become more widely diffused with the increase of prosperity. In 1911 

 there were 299,620 pupils under instruction, an increase of about 63% since 1901. The 

 government has a training college with about 100 students, but there is not yet any general 

 provision for higher technical education. Sir. H. E. McCallum, G.C.M.G, (b. 1852), 

 resigned the governorship of the colony on Dec. 12, 1912, owing to a breakdown in health. 



(W. MARTIN LEAKE.) 



BRITISH MALAYA, ETC. 1 



Straits Settlements. 2 Exclusive of the floating population, in 1911 the residents 

 in the Straits Settlements proper (excluding Christmas Island and the Cocos- Keeling Islands) 

 numbered 705,405, males being nearly 2 to I ; Singapore had 303,321; Penang, 141,559; 

 Province Wellesley, 128,978; Malacca, 124,081; The Dindings, 7,466. Chinese com- 

 prised more than half the total population, numbering 366,765; then came the Malays and 

 allied races with 235,762; Indians, 81,928; and Europeans and Americans, 7,276. The mili- 

 tary at Singapore (including dependents) numbered 3,714. , 



As regards religions, the census returns gave the following statistics: Non-Christian and 

 non-Mahommedan Chinese 359,760; Mahommedans 261,154; Hindus 52,579; Christians 

 27,474; Buddhists (non-Chinese), 2,758; Jews 387; Sikhs 372. 



In 1910 there were 216,321 Chinese immigrants, but in 1911 a fresh record was established 

 with 269,854, made up of 226,129 men, 22,738 women, 16,030 boys and 4,957 girls. Most 

 of them proceeded to the Malay States to work in the tin mines and on rubber estates, and 

 a few went to neighbouring Dutch possessions. The number of Indian immigrants also 

 established a record 108,471 in 1911 as against 83,723 in 1910. 



The large increase in the number of immigrants from southern India of the free coolie 

 class is due to the requirements of the rubber-planting industry. In 1911 the system of 

 indentured labourers ceased. In 1910 37,829 adults and 1,251 children returned to India, 

 and in 1911 46,754 adults and 5,614 children, so that the net gain to the Indian population 

 of the Settlements in 1911 was 56,103. 



The number of births in the Colony in 1911 was 18,069 against 18,012 in 1910, and the 

 number of deaths 33,075 against 27,484 in 1910. The birth rate was 25.38 as against 27.5 

 per mille, and the death rate 46.45 as against 41.88 per mille. 



In 1911, the police force had a total strength of 2,450, made up of 100 Europeans, 372 

 Sikhs, and 1,979 Malays, Tamils, and Chinese. The number of arrests during the year was 

 17,954, a decrease of 1,769 on 1910. There were 484 banishments, against 643 in 1910. 



During 1900 the Education Board was appointed to assist the government in the con- 

 trol of money spent for educational purposes. All school fees and other sums collected by 

 the Department are credited to the account of the Board. The levying of an education 

 rate, which was new in 1910, has relieved the government of a large proportion of the ex- 

 penditure on education. In 1911 Singapore had 33 schools, with an average enrollment of 

 7,714 pupils; Penang 102, with 10,469 pupils; Malacca 83, with 6,183 pupils. The total 

 amount expended ($427,225) was slightly higher than in 1910, and the net average expendi- 

 ture per pupil was 10.73, as against $i 1.03 in 1910 and $16.52 in 1909. The largest number 

 of schools are for Malays. At the English schools the average attendance increased from 

 11,232 in 1910 to 11,456 in 1911. The number of girls attending school continues to increase, 

 especially among the Chinese. 



The years 1909 and 1910 witnessed a remarkable development of agricultural activity, 

 especially in Malacca and Province Wellesley. In Singapore considerable acres of waste 

 land were put under rubber, which was planted also through the pine-apple fields. At the 

 end of 1911 there were 29,150 acres of rubber on this island alone. The expansion of rubber 

 planting has led to the neglect of fruit cultivation and other forms of agriculture, but there 

 is a slight increase in coco-nut planting, and several new plantations of pep'per and gambier, 

 which has been inclined to disappear, and a slight increase in indigo, citronella grass, ginger 

 and ground-nuts. Sugar is going out as a product of Penang and Province Wellesley owing 

 to the sale of plantations to rubber companies, and spices are still cultivated only to a small 

 extent. In Malacca rubber planting expands at the expense of tapioca. At the end of 

 1911 there were 80,000 acres alienated for rubber estates. The actual acreage planted in 

 rubber in the whole of the Settlements was 80,629 as against 60,568 in 1910. 



1 For information contained in this section the Editor is indebted to the Malay States 

 Information Agency, London. 



2 See E. B. xxv, 980. 



