Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1929-01-04
Rubber Planters Home In Malay states.

ing village. Ships in the China trade
passed 1t by as they passed many an
other jungle shore; the only ports Of
call in that region of the world were
those on the Dutch islands of Sumatra
and Java. But these ports took big
toll In fees, and Sir Stamford Raff1es,
an official of the East India company.
began to dream of free British port
that would facilitate trade. In 1919
he obtained the seemingly worthless
island Of Singapore for his company
for small fee. Developments quick
ly proved him prophet. for within
two years the little trad.og center he
established had population Of 10000.
It was only In 1922 that the British
government consented to take an in
terest in the place.
In the little more than hundred
years since it was founded, the jungle
Of Singapore has given place to a huge
city OF close to 100000 population, car
ryins on trade valued at billion dol
lars annually-one of the metropolises
of the British empire. Its quays and
anchorages serve thousands Of craft
Of all sorts and sizes, from the pic
turesque, graceful Malay sampans and
the seodgy Chinese junks to the Ia
miliar freighters of the West, and
what Kipling asserts are the "lady-
like" liners. They build up Singa-
pores shipping to the tremendous to-
tai of 17,00O,O0O tons yearly.
Though Singapore Is free from du-
ties, and to this fact owes its very
existence, still the people who make
up the city take their toll from the
stream of world trade that flows about
them. They live, in fact, by and for,
and in an atmosphere of commerce.
Tens Of thousands make their livings
by caring for shipping, conditioning
and supplying vessels, and taking part
In loading and unloading goods. The
port is primarily trans-shipping point
for both imports and exports 1t gives
what the economists would call "place
value" to hundreds Of commodities
which trickle to Singapore's reser-
vQirs of goods from scores Of districts
in the East and are there obtainable
in the large quantities that world trade
demands. In the city's "godowns"-
as the EAST calls its warehouses-are
handled very large part Of the
worlds finest rubber before 1t begins
the long journey that will take most
Of 1t eventually to American highways.
So. too. much OF the worlds tin Is
smelted in and shipped from Singa-
pore. 1t might be dubbed "the worlds
pepper pot" for more pepper is assem-
bled there than Is ever held in any
other port.
Real Cosmopolitan City.
If ever city could claim to be cos
mopolitan, Singapore can. At one Of the
principal world crossroads, and with
a population 100 per cent immigrant,
1t could not escape cosmopolitanism.
1t has drawn Its population from prac-
tically all parts of Asia. from Oceania,
the Malay archipelago, Africa. Europe
and America. The Chinese predomL
nate. making up, about one-half the
population. There have been many
thousands OF immigrants from India.
Europeans, Americans and Australians
number less than 10000, and there are
probably as many Japanese.
The appearance Of Singapore shows
Its mixture OF many influences. The
visitor may ride In 'rikishas or cleo
trio cars, automobiles or ancient horse
drawn carriages In the chief busi-
ness district he sees modern streets
and buildings, and In the Asiatic quar-
tiers he encounters facilities and sights
and odOrs that smack of the Orient.
Singapore's houses of worship furnish
an excellent index to its varied life.
There are Christian cathedrals and
churches, Moslem mosques. and the
temples OF half dozen or more Indian
and Chinese and Japanese faiths.
Without making use of relteration
one can hardly describe the physical
aspects ofASingapore island adequate.
ly. 1t Is an island of red. red soil and
green. green verdure. The soil ID
poor, but since Singapore Is almost
at the equator and moist. vegetation
might be said to grow furiously. There
Is an unendlng fight between 1t and the
coolies who strive to prevent Its vivid
green waves from engulfing the con-
splcuous red roads and cleared spaces.
SO. here in the strait, Rallies early
declared that the principles Of British
law should be applied with patriarchaf
mildness and indulgent consideration
for the prejudices Of each tribe. All
native institutions. such as religious
ceremonies, marriage and Inheritance,
were respected. when not inconsistent
with Justice and humanity. In this
policy lies the secret of British colo
nizing success.