Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-07-29
THE STRAITS SETTLEMENTS
lI-FEDERATED MALAY STATES
By Frederic J. HaSkin

the booty-S6O in Straits Settlements
dollars, 4sO In American money.
When the British took charge in the
peninsula and guaranteed the peace
the invasion of the industrious pioneers
began at once. They were not white
men from Europe, such as carved out
the new-world empires, but energetic
and frugal Chinese and Hindu mission
aries of the gospel Of industry TO TINS
sleepy, lazy land.
The Chinese furnished the skill, the
organization the labor and the capltal
for the development OF the TIN mines
The Tamiis from the south of india
furnished the labor, and the Hindu
chetties a good part of the capital by
which the rubber business was begun
under European direction. The British
furnished little capital and no LABOR,
but they guaranteed peace, proVideo
fair and just mining regulations ana
land laws, reserved the water courses
and the forests In the interests OF con-
servation, and made the prosperity OF
the Asiatic immigrants possible. VI
course the British have not failed TO
profit by the prosperity of the country
but their share is well earned. Inc
lordly Malay, disdaining to work. taxes
his little share of the general prosper
itv pambles II away or wastes 1t In
riotous living, and then betakes him
to the banana patch which Is his per-
petual meal ticket.
At first the Chinese capitalists
worked the tin mines with contract Ia
borers brought from Canton. But Ia
Dor was too much In demand LOT ina.
system to flourish, so the Chinese went
to the other extreme and established a
co-operatlve system of mining. Some
mines are operated by Europeans, but
most of them are owned ana manaseu
nv Chinese companies, the majority OF
which are cooperative.
Permission from the government Is
obtained to work a claim. notice Is
posted announcing the date when work
will begin, how many men Will be
needed. and the terms of corporation.
Any coolie who likes the prospect may
nut his name down under the notlce
until the required number has been OBJ
tanned. Each coohe is given DOCK
with the terms of the contract written
In 1t. At the end Of each day the
amount Of produce of the mine Is an
nounced and each miner enters 1t in
his book. At the end of six months the
ore is Sold providing the market Is In
good condition. Profits are calculated.
the owner gets so many shares, the
manager so many shares, the foremen
so many and each coolie his proportion.
If there are no profits the Coolie has
had his food and pocket money and the
contract is fulfilled.
The "chetties" are credited with hav-
ing done much toward establishing the
prosperity in the Malay states. The
"chetty'' Is a Hindu money lender of a
Madras caste famous throughout the
east He Is very black man, clad In
nothing but 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
I III NIL G
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 accom-
MEDIATE you, should you ask him and
furnish proper security, with loan OF
any sum from cents to a million doll
| lars. The chiefly is the supreme mas
ter of the craft of usury, and woe be
unto the luckless wight who borrows a
small sum from him at his most liberal
| terms.
Yet to the large operator. especially
| to the rubber planters, the chiefly has
! furnished capital upon terms which, X
| 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 30 to 90 per
cent return on his investment in the
| first years yield.
Even the Malays-that is, those OF
the royal families and chief class
have been infected by the Industrial
activity about them. The rulers of the
states have cheerfully co-operated In
all movements for the 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 COM
pleted, which will be within the year.
the whole of the federation and the
Straits Settlements will be connected
by rail. Another railway system Is
being built to tap the hitherto unde-
veloped Siamese states. The prosperity
of the Malay peninsula is just begin
ming and the government of the Fed
Grated Malay States, thirteen years old,
may congratulate itself upon the sue
cess of the youngest and most pros
porous country In Asia.
Tomorrow-The Straits Settlements. III
! Sultanate of JohOre.