The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-07-30
The Straits Settlements
lI.-FEDERATED MALAY
STATES.
BY Frederic J. Haskin.

Singapore The Malay peninsula. the
southermOst projection of the Asiatic
continent is a land richly endowed by
nature with wealth of minerals, with
a fertile soil, and with a beneficent
equatorial climate. The Federated Ma
lay states Is the name of the govern
ment which controls the greater part
OF the peninsula, a government in
which Great Britain has the controlling
voice. Malay sultans and chiefs main
tain their state and retain much OF
their power, but the British resident is
IN control. The sultans and chiefs are
much pleased because England saves
them the trouble Of fighting rival
claimants for their toy thrones.
Asia Is the largest. the Oldest and the
most thickly populated of the CONT
nenJs, but in no part Of it may be
round greater prosperity, or more in
'dustrial activity, than in the Federat-
ed Malay States. The tin of the world
IS mined and shipped from here. Rub
Der plantations yield enormous divi-
bends and the acreage is being extend
ed at rate which recalls the settle
ment Of Oklahoma. Railroads are being
pushed through unexplored wiids. high
ways are being constructed after the
NH-
pectOrs and pioneers push deeper and
deeper into the interior, and the stock
exchange at Singapore thrills and
throbs with speculative gambling. ali
based on the future of the r. NJ. S
as the federated government Is lnvari-
ably called in familiar conversation.
But perhaps the chief claim of the
F. NJ. s" to general interest lies i'm
the fact that it is so young. The new
est of countries in oldest Of continents.
the modern history Of the Malay states
extends over a period OF only thirty
hVe years IN 1874 the government of
the Straits Settlements sought to in
tertore. in the interest of tranquility
IN the internecine wars which were dis
tracing the people of the independent
states of the peninsula. British agents
were sent to reside at the Malay capt.
tails and offer peaceful advice. One of
these agents was killed one day while
bathing in the river. OF course, Eng
land avenged his death in the usual
and since that time British
rule has been dominant i'm the four
states Of Perak. Pahang. Selangor and
Negri Sembilan, and the English in
huoace extended through the three
Siamese Malay states Just to the north
The various Quarrels concerning the
'AtNNtf'f'lyil ~ lhtE several thrones nav
ing been settled the chiefs being won
over to the English side. and the peo-
pie following their native rulers with
absolute loyalty il became necessary
TO reduce the British Overseership TO
order. The federation was suggested
agreed to by the chiefs after some dis
cussion, and, on July ], 1896. the Fed
Grated Malay States came into exist
ence. The native rule continues i'm
each Of the four states. except that
each is under the control of the British
resident and ali are subject to the high
who is the governor OF
the Straits Settlements. Within the
present year a treaty between E,nglan1
and Siam gives Great Britain the con-
troll of the three Siamese states of Ke-
hah, Kelantan and Trengganu, and
they viii increase the dominion of the
T. NJ S.
Thirty-ive years ago. when the
British agent was murdered and mod
ern Malay history was begun, there
was no such thing as regular industry
In the peninsula. The tin mines were
worked in archaic fashion by Chinese /
miners, who were forced to maintain
armed gaTrisOns to protect themselves
from maTauding Malays, and the prod
act was Insignificant Pepper and
other spices were grown along the sea-
shore, chiefly by Tamil and Chinese i'm
migrants.
The Malay is a lordly gentleman Of |
leisure. He heves in a land where a
months easy labor viii provide food !
Tor year, and in a climate where 70
ind ones self in the lamentable con-
1itiOn Of Miss Flora McFlimsey Of |
Madison Square is neither unpleasant /
lOr unfashiOnable. Furthermore, until |
he British came no man under the I
rank of rajah dared accumulate any |
wealth, because it would be found out /
and that would invite the rajah to /
murder him and take his substance. /
Being by nature more than half am
the Malay always took to /
water. Piracy suited his nature and. /
Tor matter Of a thousand years, il !
was practically his only profession. 1t
les within the memory of many men
now living that sailing through the
straits of Malacca was dangerous C.
any but armed ships. Indeed, the days
If the Malay pirates are not yet ended, /
Tor in the spring Of this very year Il !
pirate ship attacked a Chinese junk
within sight Of the towers Of Singa-
pore, captured il. killed seven Chinese /
sailors and made away with the booty
$50 in Straits Settlements dollars. l
sot-6U III american money.
When the British took charge in the |
peninsula and guaranteed the peace, !
he invasion of the industrious pioneers
began at once. They were not white /
men from Europe. such as carved out
NE new world empires, but energetic /
md frugal Chinese and Hindu mission |
tries of the gospel of industry to this /
sleepy, lazy land.
The. Chinese furnished the skill the
the labor and the capital /
or the development of the tin mines.
The Tamils from the south of India
furnished the labor. and the Hindu
,hetties a good part of the capital BIZ
which the rubber business was begun
lndeT European direction. The British I
furnished little capital and no labor.
Dut they guaranteed peace. provided I
air and just mining regulations and /
and laws, reserved the water courses
md the forests in the interests of [
and made the prosperity
# the Asiatic immigrants possible. OF /
curse. the British have not failed to
'roft by the prosperity of the country
Dut their share is well earned. The
Grdly Malay. disdaining work. takes