BRITISH MALAYA 6 33 



Regular steamship communication has been established with Singapore and Bangkok. 

 On August i, 1909 postal rates were reduced from 9 cents to 3 cents between Kelantan and 

 the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States, and in November to 8 cents for 

 places within the Imperial Penny Postage Union. In spite of the reduced rates, the postal 

 revenue has steadily increased. At the end of the year, the cash-on-delivery system was 

 introduced for parcels and a money order system established with the Federated Malay States. 

 The telephone and telegraph systems were extended, and the rate for telegrams to the 

 Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States reduced from 15 to II cents per word. 

 In 1910 commission on money, orders was reduced to half per cent, with a substantial 

 increase of business. A start was made with the construction of roads, and at the end of 

 1909 there were 11 miles of gravelled roads and 6 of earth roads, and several hundreds of 

 miles of foot tracks and bridle paths. In 1910 the road making was continued, and the 

 most important work of the year was the beginning of a trunk road through the state. 



The population (1911) is 286,751. There were 109 deaths from cholera in 1910. 



The police force, numbering 232 men, with a European as Chief Police Officer, was 

 reorganised on the Federated Malay States system in 1910. As the administration of justice 

 had fallen into an unsatisfactory state, the opportunity was taken on the resignation of the 

 Siamese judge in 1909 to appoint the Assistant Adviser as judge. The result was an im- 

 mediate improvement in the personnel and conduct of the Courts. 



Revenue (1910) $419,327; expenditure $403,552. Principal sources of revenue: customs 

 $129,560; licences, $197,508; land, $104,474. The public debt at the transference of the 

 suzerainty was $150,000 upon which Siam charged 6 per cent. This debt was taken over 

 by the Federated Malay States, interest being reduced to 4 per cent. 



In 1910 only about 124,200 acres were reported to be under cultivation in a country of 

 approximately 6,500 square miles. This comprised 95,000 acres devoted to padi, 18,250 to 

 coco-nuts, and 5,400 to rubber. Rubber planting, however, is spreading, and 64,500 acres 

 were alienated in 1910 for this purpose, mostly to European companies. 3,763 tons of copra 

 were exported, and 7,261 head of cattle, 1,480 sheep, 115,044 poultry and 684 pigs were ex- 

 ported to Singapore. Arrangements are being made to improve the breeds of cattle and 

 sheep. The revenue from land in 1910 amounted to $104,474 a large increase in the collec- 

 tion under the Siamese regime. A sago factory was installed at Kota Bahru in 1910. Many 

 unworked mining concessions were cancelled in that year. The dredging operations for 

 alluvial gold in the Galas, Nenggiri and Lebir rivers were scarcely so successful in 1910 as in 

 the previous year, the gold won amounting to 3,698 oz., against 8,507 oz. in 1909. On the 

 other hand the output of tin-ore, though small, showed an increase. 



The total value of trade in 1910 was returned at $3,003,935, against $2,648,571 in 1909. 

 Chief among the exports were Copra, $632,040; cattle, $217,830; betel nuts, $143,048; 

 gold, $129,465; fish, $64,904; rice and padi, $45,342. The principal imports were Cotton 

 piece goods, $141,337; kerosene, $111,886; opium, tobacco, salt, and woollen goods. Ship- 

 ping amounted to 206,560 tons, an increase on 1909. 



In 1910 the rainfall was 123.4 inches. 



Trengganu. Though the suzerainty was transferred from Siam to Great Britain on July 

 14, 1909, it was only on April 22, 1910 that the Sultan signed an agreement providing for 

 a British agent to reside at Kuala Trengganu, to fulfil the functions of a Consular official, 

 for the control of the foreign affairs by Great Britain, and for the limitation of mining and 

 agricultural concessions to persons other than natives and subjects of Trengganu. 



The population (1911) is 146,920; of Kuala Trengganu, 13,991. 



In 1910 the Sultan issued his "kuasa " empowering the British agent to adjudicate as a 

 magistrate, jointly with the Hakim, according to Mahommedan law and the state regulations, 

 and five suits were disposed of in that year. 



Several Europeans have taken up concessions for rubber planting, in which industry the 

 Sultan shares, and a Japanese subject obtained a concession for coco-nut planting in 1910. 



No less than 1,986 fishing boats were on the register at Kuala Trengganu in 1910, as 

 well as 385 sailing vessels of a burden ranging from 25 to 100 tons. These sailing vessels 

 were all built by native Malays for trade in the Archipelago. A bright future is predicted 

 for Trengganu as a mining country, tin, wolfram and gold having been found, while traces 

 of natural oil are reported near Dungun in the north-east. 



The following were the values of imports and exports in 1910: Imports:, Rice, $209,528; 

 cotton goods, $69,731; opium ,$60,909; sugar, $49,420; sarongs, $38,521; raw silk, $36,100; 

 tobacco and cigarettes, $31,936; petroleum, $21,645. Exports: Tin-ore, $313,177; fish, 

 $464,288; copra, $281,813; P acu '> $174,295; black pepper, $152,707. 



Revenue is raised by means of "Farms" and duties on all kinds of exports. 



Mr. W. D. Scott's report for 1910 says: "The area is estimated at 6.000 square miles. 

 There are no main roads, railways or telegraphs; communication with the interior is by 

 means of the rivers and by good native paths." Regular steamship communication is 

 maintained with Singapore, and in order to obtain a good port of call a survey is to be made 

 of Chendering, lying seven miles south of Kuala Trengganu. The state joined the Imperial 

 penny postage system and the Postal Union on January I, 1911. 



Rainfall in 1910 (for nine months). 101.98 inches. 



