MARVELLOUS MALAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 200, 13 January 1913, Page 3

MARVELLOUS MALAY.

WHERE THE IUJBBKE GROWS,

NEW ZEALAXDEK ON FURLOUGH.

Auckland, January 10. ''The country is in a unique position. There is not a penny of debt, there are over 000 miles of railways running, all built out of revenue, and there is a surplus of R2,OOo,ooodrf;."' This was the attractive manner in which' Mr. N. F. J. Hazard described the Federated Malay States to a reporter this afternoon. Mr. Hazard, who is a New Zealander, was formerly surveying on the West, Coast of Africa, but for the last seven vcars has been in the service of the F.M.S., and is at present assistant superintendent of the survey. lie has come over to the Dominion on nine months' furlough, and has a commission to engage some suitable young men for the department. In explanation of his remarks about the enviable conditions of -the States' iinances, Mr. Hazard said that practically the whole revenue was derived from export duties. ' The'import dnties were confined to spirits and opium. The country has produced enormous quantities of tin, which has been a rich source of income, and in the near future rubber will he the staple product. The States are the, scene of an enormous amount of rubber growing. The profits in rubber are sometimes tremendous. Recalling the. time when rubber went up to the fabulous price of 12s per lb. about 11)10, Mr. Hazard said that one of the estates (the Se'jangor) was earning 2 per cent, per day on its nominal capital. The same company have paid over 1000 per cent, during the past three years, and last year earned 375 per cent.

Speaking of 11m recent boom in rubber company promoting and the complaints about wild-cat propositions, the New Zealandcr said the case was not analogous with what the phiase meant in gold mining. The trouble in regard to rubber was that some of the companies were ridiculously over-capitalised. The rubber was there all right, but natuI rally some of the companies could not be expected to show a return on the absurd capita'; on which they were floated. Rubber is now 4s 4d per pound, and when it is known that it is marvellously profitable at anything over 3s per pound the possibilities of the States are apparent. In a well-cultivated plantation, with all the trees in full tapping, Is fid per pound is estimated to be the cost of producing the rubber. Asked about the possibility of a commerciiil substitute being found, Mr. Hazard replied that it <lid not seem to trouble anyone in the States. An article almost identical with rubber had been produced chemically, but the cost was prohibitive. "There is plenty of work for surveyors in the States, as the Government are opening up the land as fast as possible, and offering inducements to people to settle, so that they won't have all their eggs in one basket," said Mr. Hazard. "The Government are holding out very favorable terms in the way of reduced rental to persons likely to engage in cocoa nut growing. There is a : strong demand for copra, and it was felt I advisable to have pore than one staple ' to rely upon." |