LITTLE KNOWN LANDS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 208, 22 May 1918, Page 5

LITTLE KNOWN LANDS

FACTS ABOUT MALAY

PROSPECTS FOR GOOD COLONISTS

"I have been amazed at the lack of knowledge I find among tho people hero about the Straits Settlements. I tell peoplo that I como from Singapore, and not one in twenty of them know whore the placo is or anything at all about it. I should have, been glnd to have been able while here to have tried to arouse some more interest among your people in landa which aro your own colonies." Thus a visitor who is just now travelling on holiday in this 'country.

"Some of your youni; men could do very well if they would try their tortunes in the Malay States. I think that young men trained in agriculture in this country could very soon adapt themselves to rubber-planting, and some others with a knowledge of mining could use their knowledge profitably there. Most' of the rubber is raised on estates of about 2000 acres, worked by SOU or 7CO coolies in control of white men, but it is possible to cultivate) rubber in much smaller areas—so acres or so., There are men who are now living at home at ease who made a lot of money by plant•injf rubber on 50 or 1M acres of land. A man who wants to go in for this sort of thing should have 'a little capital of his own. Ho haa to pay nothing at all for tho land, but he will iinve to pay for the breaking-in of the land out oE the jungle, and he will have (o wait for five years until his trees become productive. In mining a man with a knowledge of tho business can get a piece of- land from the Government by simply applying for it. He has to 'bore it and test it as best ho can, and if it turns out to be good enough he can either develop it with his own money, or secure the help of other people with money. If he is unable to do either of these things he may let it out to natives on tribute, and so get hie return for his work and expenditure in testing tho ground. Many men have made their start in the miniiij; business in this wny, getting enough money together to go in for a big venture of their own.- The French have made far the biggest success of mining, fur better than tho British.

"The sort of men we need must be above average intelligence, but not necessarily men of' great attainments or great ability. White people do not do manual labour out there. If a man is to do any good in the Malay States he must be able to control labour. ;\'o white man. could go there and make his wny by the labour of his own hands, either at plant ing or mining. But 1 anl sure that young men trained in agriculture hern would be an acquisition in the States, There is little or no chance of a commercial oareer there for a man from this country. Tho business houses controlled by British people are mostly London houses, and all the important positions in them are h'lled by jupii from their London. offices. No healthy man need dread the climate of the Malay States. There is a heavy rainfall evenly distributed throughout the year, and this is what makes the country so suitable for rubber. If a man leitras how to look

w'ler, Ins health the climate will nut break aim up. If a man eats too much and drinks too much, lie is, suto to get io>-»r sooner or Mcr, but with proper rare a man should aover have malaria tjiwo. Mcn'o own indiscrotions have been (Ho cause of niucii el' the outcry that thcro used J;o bo about the evil climato of Bin'gaßoH'. Nowadays there is not iit'Mly w> much driukinu ,as there usod to be, aad in consoquenco there is less sickness. Men of better class nre coming abroad now from home—men who do not tako all their recreation in the club. The inducements to a man to live that sort of life are vory strong, but the man who would keep well must take exercise, "Just now we are very short of men becAuao of the war. As eoon as war was declared practically every man in tho Settlements volunteered. Tliero was no equipment for them at tha.t time, and only some of them wore taken, the remainder being told to hold themselves in reserve. Later came compulsory home service for every British subject in Malay St;ite. Kvery. man, whatever his age opposition, was taken into cami- and train, ed for four months. In some offices the i whole staffs had to go when this mobilisation was ordered. There 'is no compulsion for service abroad, but I think that the Malay States can show a record for foreign service ,in 'this war as good as that of any part-of the Empire. Everyman is mobilised compulsorily for homo service, nnd every man has to keep himself efficient. There is no ago limit. Elderly men who are not considered fit for other duties are enrolled in a sort of town guard. AVhen compulsory service was lirst instituted we had a certain number of independent colonials who resented compulsion. These men were given twentv-i'our hours in which td join ,up, and tliose who did not ■.do so were sent to gaol. A. few hours in gaol overcame all their resentment'. All businesses are running with short staffs. Practically all leave has ' been stopped, except to nnen who are considered to be in iieed of rest and change.

"A very eore grievance was that when all Ihe British subjects wero mobilised for service, tho Germans in the Settlements wero allowed to trade #s usual. There were about 300 Germans in Singapore and 100 in Penang, and there were numbers of them scattered throughout the country. The result of this was that the Germans were able to sell out tho entire stoeka of their stores to Chinese and other shopkeepers. The money that they obtained from the sale of the goods filtered out of the country, by way of Java probably, and when the Germans were in the end interned their 'godowns' were all empty. The British dime back to their businesses to find that there was no trade. All Hio bazaars were filled up with German goods. Even three years after the declaration of war you could find Gorman goods in tho bazaars. It,/ turned out to bo a Godsend to tho British nt'lor all, because when the lime did tome when thoy could sell again the goods that they had in store had increased considerably in value. At the time, however, tho grievance was a very real one."