FEDERATED MALAY STATES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1104, 3 June 1913, Page 3

FEDERATED MALAY STATES.

THIRTY YEARS’ AGO SAVAGES.

NOW BUILDING RAILWAYS OUT OF REVENUE.

In the Kalgoorlic Minor of May 14 last appeared an article by Mr fetaniforth Smith, entitled, “Our Northern Neighbours.” Tho northern neighbours referred to are the Federal Malay States, comprising a, group of native Malay districts, amalgamated about, thirty jjeavs ago under British administration on the Crown colony plan, and occupying the southern portion of tho Malay Peninsula, just across tlie Malacca Strait from Sumatra. Ihe area is about the same as that of Tasmania.

Thirty years • ago those States wore a. practically unexplored jungle inhabited hv half-savage tribes. Now these same Slates have 1586 miles of installed mads, 1000 miles of cleared frocks and bridlepaths. 421 miles of melra-gaiige railway, with subsidised motor car services to outside places, and 1231 miles of telegraph and telephone lines. They have. 248 State schools, 31 free hospitals, and two sayings hanks. They have rest houses (praeiicidly State hotels’) at every railway Nation. They ha vo a State medical service, a military’ force of 842 men. and a fine body of police, numbering 2651. Incredible as it may seem, (hey have no public debt, but have, on the; contrary, millions of dollars of surplus revenue invested in interestbearing securities. They are at present building another 125 miles of out of revenue. Lastly, they' have magnificent pubflc, buildings,-■ altio paid for out of revenue. But how is this thing done? It is not done either by “scientific protection, nor a, revenue tariff.” for this astonishing federation imposes no import Customs duties except on spirits and opium, although it docs tax its exports. It is done by taxation ot the unimproved value of land. Out of a total revenue for 1904 of £2,225,000. no less than £1,700.000 was rent of hind. The States have not purled with the fee simple, of ono acre of their territory.