The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-08-30

seen everywhere in Bangkok. They
are not permitted to work, and many
young fellows enter the priesthood
simply because they are thus sure of
an easy, pampered existence. On the
ground beside this old fellow you see
the bowl with which he saunters out
in the morning to collect his daily
bread, or rather rice, and leaning
against the tree is his large umbrella.
When woman ladies q few spoonfuls
of rice into his bowl he hides his fsce
behind fan, for fear the lady's charms
may interrupt his contemplation of
holy things. ~. .'.s,...
Bangkok is lighted by electricity and
has system of electric street railways.
Great strides in education have been
made in the last few years. The Gov
ernment is monarchy, the reigning
monarch having the right to nominate
his successor from among his sons.
Legislative power is vested in the King
in conjunction with council of minis
ters, most of whom are his half broth
ers. ... ....H.
Slams military force consists of a
standing army of $4,000 men, and the
people generally are liable to be called
out as required, but there is no armed
militia. Every male inhabitant over
twenty-one years old is obliged to serve
three months year. There are, how
ever, a good many exemptions from
this rule. These include members of
the priesthood, the Chinese settlers
who pay commutation taS, slaves,
public :functionaries, the fathers of
three sons liable to service, and those
who purchase exemption by fine of
from SO to 81 month or by furnish
ing slave or some other person not
subject to conscription as substitute.
The Government possesses upward Of
80, 900 stand of arms, beside consid-
erable stock of cannon. The army is
largely oficered by Europeans and has
been very largely increased of late
years, both in efficiency and equip
ment. ....
The naval equipment consists of two
screw steamers of 1000 tons and eight
guns each, several gunboats, oficered
chiefly by Englishmen and Danes, and
some sea-going yachts. One cruiser
of $500 tons is being built. There are
forts with heavy guns at the mouth of
the Bangkok River. There is bar at
the mouth of the river, however (which
efectually prevents the entrance of
vessels drawing more than thirteen
feet of water.
The National revenues amount to
about SIG, 900, 900 year, of which the
land tax produces 81, 435, 900; tax on
spirits, $500, 600; tax on fruit trees,
1926, 600; opium, $500, 600; gambling,
$500, 900; customs, $7l5, 900; tin
mines, $3.50, 900; edible birds nests
$135, 900, and fisheries, $135, 600. ALI
the taxes, with the exception of the
customs duties, are farmed. There is
no public debt, and power has only
lately been given to the Hong Kong
and Shanghai banks local branch to
issue limited amount of paper money.
There is comparatively little industry
in the country, mainly due to the state
of serfdom in which the population is
kept by the local governors. Through
out the whole country the natives are
liable to forced labor for from one to
three months each year. The conse-
quence is that the land, rich in many
parts, is badly cultivated. Not more
than one-twentieth of the available
land in the delta of the Menam is culti-
waited. The dense forests of upper
Siam make teak cutting an important
industry. Gold exists in some of the
rivers, and for the working of it con-
cessions have been granted to British
and French companies. Gem mining
is carried on in various districts ON
the western side of the Malay peninsula,
where tin and coal are also known to
exist.
Domestic slavery is in gradual abo-
lition. Such slavery as exists is en-
tirely debt slavery. The present King,
by an edict, decreed that no person
born after his accession to the throne
can be held as slave beyond the age
of twenty-one. Chinese coolies do
most of both the skilled and unskilled
labor in the south, especially in the
mills and mines. In the north forest
work is confined almost entiraly to
the Burmese, Karens and Khamus.
Nearly the whole of the trade is in
the hands of foreigners. In late years
many Chinese, not subject, like the ma
tives, to forced labor, have settled in
the country. The foreign trade CEN
ters in Bangkok. In 1891 the exports
from Bangkok amounted to about $S,-
900, 900, the imports to about 81, ,0OO,-
600. Teakwood and rice comprise a
large part of the exports. Machinery,
iron, hardware and cotton goods COM
prise q large part of the imports.
Railway building began seven or
eight years ago. There is one COM
pleted railroad from Bangkok to PAX
nam, fourteen miles, and another one
in construction from Bangkok to Ban
Mai, on the Patriew River, and an
other one from Bangkok to Korat, l65
miles through very rich undeveloped
rice growing plateau. Another rail
road has been surveyed across the
mountains connecting Bangkok with
the Burmese cities. Telegraph lines
aggregating 1880 miles are in opera
tion. There is postal service in
Bangkok, and in 1885 Siam Joined the
International Postal Union.