CHINESE INDUSTRY ENHANCES GROWTH OF BRITISH MALAYA

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6868, 25 March 1929, Page 10

CHINESE INDUSTRY ENHANCES GROWTH OF BRITISH MALAYA

INCREASING CHINESE POPULATION ENGAGED IN PRODUCTION OF TIN. LONDON, Fob. 15. The debt which Malaya owes to Ehina is dwelt upon in a report by William G. Ormsby-Gorc, British Colonial Under-Secretary of State, who has recently returned from a visit to that country. “It is to the individual enterprise, industry and thrift of tho Chinese merchants 'aud petty traders, the Chinese craftsmen, the Chinese coolie and, above all, the small Chinese contractor with his ‘ Kongsi’ or guild,” Mr. Ormsby-Gorc says, “that the great wealth of British Malaya arc mainly due.” In 1926-27, he points out, there was a net increase in tho Chinese population of British Malaya of more than 250,000. “They have faith in tire ultimate destiny’of China.” he goes on, “and are resolved that some day a united China shall have at least a proud a position among the nations of the world as Japan.” The-Chinese arc largely engaged in the production of till. In this relation Mr. Ormsby-Gorc says, “In 1927 nearly half 1-iie. world’s tin supplv was mined in and about 70 per rent,, of the supply of refined tin was shipped from tin? smelting works in Singapore and Penang, Between 40,000 ami 50,000 ions of metallic tin are produced annually. I Quo authority reckoned that, at the'. present rate of production malaya was good for at least another 200 years of tin mining.”