Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/292

 170 THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — FEDERATED MALAY STATES

Chief exports, 1911 : cultivated rubber, 4,658,631Z. ; copra, 151,002/. ; sugar, 27,456^. ; rice, 87,847/. ; and tin and tin ore, 8,132,872/. Bullion and specie imported, 1911, 332,010/ ; exported, 36,449/. Imports (excluding bullion and specie), 1911, from U. K., 736,035/. ; other British possessions,^ 164,323/. ; foreign countries, 299,434/. Exports to U. K., 2,870,934/. (largely rubber); other British possessions, 282,582/.^; foreign countries, 311,342/.

Shipping, 1911 (excluding native craft) : entered, 4,836 vessels, 1,936,763 tons; cleared, 4,831 vessels, 1,933,566 tons. Native craft, entered, 6,590 vessels, 125,851 tons; cleared, 6,696 vessels, 126,040 tons.

There were in the 4 States in 1911, 1,998 miles of metalled cart roads and 1,540 miles of bridle roads and paths. Length of railways open in 1911, 559 miles 2 chains, including the line (21 miles) to Malacca. Branch lines connect the j)rincipal mining centres with the sea and river ports. The Johore State Eailway (Gemas-Johore Bahrii) 120 miles and 72 chains, which connects the Federated Malay States trunk line with the Singapore Govern- ment Railway, was opened on July 1, 1909, thereby making through com- munication from Penang to Singapore. The whole cost of railway construc- tion has been met from revenue. All the lines have a gauge of 1 metre. There are 69 post offices and 33 other places for postal business. In 1911, 12,715,876 postal packets (excluding parcels and registered letters) were received and delivered. In 1911 there were 1,711 miles of telegraph and telephone line (6,162 miles of wire) under the Post Office department. The post and telegraph receipts (including stamp sales) amounted to 82,218/., and expenditure to 83,968/. The current money consists of Straits Settle- ments dollars -with subsidiary silver and copper coins. In February, 1906, the value of the dollar was fixed at 2s. Ad. or 60 dollars =71. Currency notes and bank notes also circulate, and the sovereign is legal tender for any amount at the above rate. Weights and measures (as well as currency) are as in the Straits Settlements.

OTHER BRITISH PROTECTED MALAY STATES. By the treaty between Great Britain and Siam signed at Bangkok on March 10, 1909, Siam transferred to Great Britain the rights of suzerainty and such rights of protection, administration and control, as she had possessed over the tract of territory Ijang to the north of the Federated Malay States and embracing the whole of Trengganu, all but the north-east corner of Kelantan, the greater part of Kedah, logetLor with Palit or Perils, parts of Rahman and Legeh, and adjacent islands. Gieat Britain agreed to an ex- tension of the jurisdiction of the Siamese International Courts till the new Siamese codes c<mie into force, when the system shall cease. Great Britain undertook to facilitate railway construction so that Siamese Railways may be connected with lines in the Federated Malay States. A mixed Siauicse and British Commission is delimiting the new frontier. These new territories comprise an area of about 15,600 square miles, and contain a population of about 720,000.

Kelantan, on the eastern side of the Malay Penin.sula, hns an area estimated at 5,-^00 square miles and a population of 286,750, including 15,000 Siamese and 10,000 Cliinese. Kota Bharu, the capital, has a population of about 10,000. The State has a hereditai-y Rajah. Each village has its own head man, who is resiion&ible to a circle hea<! man, the circles being in turn grouped Into districts, each in charge of a district officer. The prevailing religion is Shafti Mohammedanism, the State being divided into 250 Mukim or parishes. A Government elementary school exists at Kota Bharu with an averaj^e daily attendance in 1911 of 117 pupils; also a Government-aided school and a Chinese

1 Excluding Singapore, Penang, and Malacca.