MALAY PENINSULA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15142, 13 May 1911, Page 11

MALAY PENINSULA.

ITS RUBBER INDUSTRY. Mr J. F. Bell, who is connected with extensive rubber and other interests in the Malay Peninsula, is at present on a visit to Dunedin, and in tho course of an interview with a Daily Times reporter yesterday ho communicated several interesting 1 facts relative to the development of tho peninsula. Mr Bell was tho promoter of the Dominion Rubber Company, a number of the shareholders in which reside in Dunedin, an<l'his remarks in reference to its operations will be read with special interest.

' Kelantan, the State in which, this rubbergrowing activity is centred, recently joined tho Federated Malay States, and tho British Government somo time sinco appointed a Resident Adviser and an Assistant Adviser to administer the affairs of the State. It is considered that this federation will ensure for tho interests of title Dominion and other rubber oompanies greater security, and at the sumo time give an appreciable impetus to tho development- of -tihe' State. A survey is now in hand for linking up the Fodcrated States with Bangkok bv rail, which, when completed, will also connect the cer.tic with Singapore. This railway will pa.s through tho immediate vicinity of the Dominion Rubber Company's property. It is t..;e general opinion that as a further outcome of the federation the political centre, which is at present at Kota Bharu, will ultimately be removed to the junction of the railway on tho opposite-side of the Kc-lantan River from the Dominion Rubber. Company's property. At the present time the Government is pushing on with tho extensicn of the line from the const through to the Duff Development, Company's centre, and this line of railway will also pass in front oi the Dominion Company's property on the opposite side of the river. A telephone service will'also be established along this route. In 'many ways tho progress of the country has been greatly accmlenatcd since the advent of the Britifih Administration some 18 months ago. About 6003 acres arc row planted down in rubber in Kelante, and planting is still going on c.tc-adily. The Dominion Company po-sesses ii tod area oi" 1750 acres, of which over 500 acivs have bscn planted with robber tree?. The Duff Development Company is a \ery extensive concern, and holds 4000 square miles of -territory in ICelanten State. It is making important extensions to its sawmill plant. The country possesses some splendid hard timber, and there arc possibilities in this direction for an export trade. On the Kelantan River at present there are several motor launches and three steamers, and now tho Duff Devekmmcnt Uosipany is adding a tender and l a steel barge in order to moot tho requirements of the trade in respect of tho large eteamers which cannot navigate th<s river owing to the bar at its mouth. Tho samo company has four gold dradges at work, and is now turning its attention to quartz, mining. An extensive area of country has been proved to be quartz-bearing. It has started stripping operations on its rubber plantations, and the results obtained have greatlv exceeded anticipations, thus beating out tho contention that the Kelantan side of the Malay Peninsula is more favourable to the production of rubber than the -western side.

In connection with the Dominion Company's plantation there is in many instances the required girth of tree, but t!:e bark is very thin, and' without the services of expert tappers there .is great liability of the bark being cut through and the tree receiving permanent injury:. It is therefore highly desirablo that tapping operations should be postpsned until "a later date. T.ho Malay labour is very erratic, and recently a movement has been made to secure the services of Chinese coolies from Singapore agents. These coolies are indentured for 300 working days, and thus constitute a permanent labour fcrce, which is essential to the satisfactory working of the rubber fields. The Malays are given to an observance cf too many feast'days, and are also naturally independent. To the immediate south of the Dominion Company's property is the Austral Malay Rubber Company, and to the west the New Zoalard Malay Rubber Company the headquarters of the latter being in Oamaru. Mr Bell is also comicctcd wiih the Austral Malay Company. There is overy reason to bo satisfied with the progress bcintr made by the Dominion Company, whioh is managed by Mr J. F. Bell's two brothers. The trees show splendid growth, some of those which were first planted being about 30ft high, with a girth of 18in, and they have already flowered and seeded. The whole-of the cultivated area is clean and in good order, and the main road and various tracks traverse tlie plantations. Mr Bell is' generally more than satisfied with the prospects of the company. Kolantiiji State is also famous for its cocoanuts, ■and_ thc ; nuts and oopra exported from the district faing the very highest prion in tile, market. Several - coooamut planfa tions aro' now being opened up with British capital for the purpose of exporting copra. Mr 801 l will probably spend two or\thrce months in Duiwdin before returning to Malay.