PROSPEROUS MALAYA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16025, 17 September 1915, Page 5

PROSPEROUS MALAYA.

GIFTS TO THE EMPIRE.

DREADNOUGHT AND AEROPLANES.

MINING EXPERT INTERVIEWED.

After having spent 17 years in the Malay Peninsula, Mr. Malcolm Duncan, of the Chenderiang Valley Tin Dredging Company, in the Federated Malay States, is paying a holiday visit to New Zealand, accompanied by his wife.

In conversation with a Herald reporter, Mr. Duncan said that he went to Malaya from Australia and, after spending two years in different parts of the country, settled in the Chenderiang Valley, where the prospects of tin mining by dredging seemed to be good. Shortly afterwards there was a great rush of Australians and Australian capital into the country, and the majority of the companies were nowdoing well. A fair number of New Zealanders were employed in responsible- positions in the tin-mining industry, while in the ruboer industry there was also a smattering of New Zealand planters and others.

"I do not know whether the people of New Zealand really realise what a prosperous country the Federated Malay States is. There is no national debt, "all development being paid for out of revenue, which is chiefly derived from export duties on tin and rubber. The tin is obtained from the rivers by means of dredges, just as gold is won in New Zealand. The area under rubber-trees is now enormous, and the export this year should be about 75,000 tons.

" The capital is Kuala Lumpur, situated in the centre of the country, with railways radiating to many towns of considerable size. The station at the capital is ;as big as that of St. Pancras. The chief mining town is Ipoh, which is a busy place with a large population of Chinese and Malays, and a good number of Europeans. There are, in the States, about 7000 whites all told, a million Chinese, and 75,000 Malays, and among them they have presented a Dreadnought to Great Britain — hear she will be launched very soon. Further, a subscription has been taken to provide a fleet i 13 aeroplanes for the British Government. Already three of them have been delivered. One wealthy Chinese paid for a complete aeroplane himself, and there are many instances of large donations to the patriotic funds. I assure you the Federated Malay States are intensely loyal, and have given royally to the Empire in this time of national crisis.

"A feature of the East, is the number of newspapers published in Malay, Chinese and English, which circulate among all classes, the usual price being 10' cents. My brother, Mr. Chesney Duncan, is editor of the Malayan Tribune. Before he took that post, he published several newspapers in China. In one of these he criticised the policy of Yuan Shi Kai, the new President, and as a result, orders were sent to the Mayor of the town to close up the paper. The simple Chinese method of doing this was to eject the staff through doors or windows, whichever was handiest, and to toss the type after them. Then the doors and windows were barricaded. So, you see, China is not yet a truly democratic country."