The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-07-30
THE STRAITS SETTLEMENTS
H. FEDERATED ALAYSTATES

% the tin mines with contract labor.
ers brought from Canton. But labor
was too much In demand for that sys-
tom TO flourish. 30 the Chinese went
70 the other extreme and established
cooperation system OF mining.
some mines are operated by Europeans.
but most OF them are owned ana man.
aged by Chinese companies the majorf-
" OF which are cooperative
Permission from the government ID
obtained to work a claim A notice IN
posted announcing the date when work
VIII begin, how many men will he
needed. ana the terms Of cooperation.
ANY cooiie who likes the prospect may
put his name down under the notice.
until the required number has been
obtained. Each coolie 10 given q book.
with the terms OF the contract written
In IL. At the end OF each day. the
amount of produce OF the mine is an
nounced and each miner enters II In
mis- book At the end of six months
the ore is sold. providing the market
70 In good condition. Profits are cal
culated' the owner gets so many
shares. the foreman 80 many and each
coolie his proportion. II there are no
profits. the coolie has had his food
and pocket-money and the contract is
fulfilled.
The ''chsttses" are credited with
having done much toward esta blishins
the prosperity in the Malay states.
The Chiefly" Is a Hindu money lender
OF Madras caste famous throughout
the East. He is a very black man.
| clad In nothing but a strip of white
cloth about his loins, and having the
front part of his head shaved in
| crescent fashion. making him appear
to be bald. To the European or Amer
lean. chiefly looks like a naked
savage from the wilds of an unknown
| land and one would be willing to
swear that he didn't know the use of
money Yet he will accommodate you,
should you ask him and furnish proper
security. with loan of any sum from
two cents to a million dollars. The
chetty Is the supreme master of the
craft of usury, and woe be unto the
luckless wight who borrows q small
sum from him at his most liberal
terms.
Yet to the large operator, especially
10 the rubber planters, the chiefly has
furnished capital upon terms which,
II not easy, were at least equitable
The planter who needed money for q
long time loan could not object to
heavy interest when his rubber trees
came INTO bearing and gave him thirty
TO ftrty per cent return on his invest
ment in the first years yield.
Even the Malays, that is those of the
royal families and chief GLASS, have
been infected by the industrial activity
about them. The rulers OF the states
nave cheerfully co-operated in all
movements for tho improvement of the
country. and the railway system owned
by the Federation Is now being pushed
across the Independent state Of Johore
TO Singapore. When 1t is completed,
which will be within the year, the
whole OF the Federation and the
straits Settlements will be connected
by rail. Another railway system is be-
Ing built to tap the hitherto undevelop-
ed Siamese states. The prosperity of
the Malay peninsula Is Just beginning,
and the government of the Federated
Malay States, thirteen years old, may
congratulate itself upon the success of
the youngest and most prosperous
country in Asia.
TOmOrr0w-The strmiRhtw Settle.
menfn.
H-sultanate of Johore.