NORTH BORNEO JUBILEE

Waikato Times, Volume 111, Issue 18524, 2 January 1932, Page 8

NORTH BORNEO JUBILEE

British North Borneo celebrated recently the Jubilee of Lite grant of the Charier by Queen Victoria to the British North* Borneo Company, by whom the territory is governed. A comparison of conditions as they existed in North Borneo at the time of the British occupation and as they are to-day will suffice to show that Mr Gladstone was justified in deciding that a Charter should he granted. Mi W. B. Pryor, first British Resident at Sandakan, left il on re coni that when lie arrived he found “slavery rampant; slave boats containing cargoes of unfortunate, starved wretches

were frequently to be seen here or In tiie Klnabatangan. Bobbery was rife, creeses (swords) were drawn upon the slightest occasion, there was no security for cither life or property. The rich soil of tho country was all but entirely uncultivated ... in fact, It Is simply difficult to say in what way matters could have been hi a more deplorable condition.” Flit) years of administration by the Char iered Company have changed all tills Slavery was stamped out early in lln company’s career. The native peoples have been long at peace; head-hunt-ing, formerly a favourite pastime, has disappeared; systematic vaccination and vigilant quarantine supervision have rid the inhabitants of their aneient foes, smallpox and cholera, by widen they were mown down in their thousands; a wise system of justice leaves them undisturbed in their tribal cus toms, while meting out, retribution to the law-breaker. New townships have arisen; communications by railway road and bridle-path have gradual!,' ncen opened up; the long eoastlim inis been lighted and beaconed; and several wireless stations maintain cm tact with the outer world. Tut Chinese have been attracted to tl.” State in large numbers and arc con trlbuting substantially to its develop ment. Industry lias gone ahead; some four millions of capital have been invested in lito rubber industry alone A quarler of a million acres are 10-da> under some form of cultivation.