166 THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — THE STRAITS SETTLEMENTS
Most of the imports are re-exported.
There may be said to be three classes of trade — passing, transit, actual; passing trade being goods in vessels merely passing through Singapore for China, &c.; transit trade, goods changing bottom at Singapore, or landed and stored awaiting re-shipment. These two classes of trade are not included in the import and export statistics, except as regards Para rubber from the Malaj' Peninsula which is treated as imports and included in the exjtort figures when sent out. Actual trade may be defined as goods brought for sale into Singapore and purchased there, either for consumption or for sale to other places whither they are said to be exported. The trade is a transit trade in the sense only that what is imported is exported without undergoing any process of manufacture. Exchange fluctuations affect the value of past statistical results, in times of low exchange the dollar value of goods having their origin in gold countries being enhanced; the same probably holding good, to a less extent, in the case of produce exported, but the dollar value having been fixed early in 1906 at 2s. 4d., this is the rate adopted since.
The Board of Trade Returns give the trade with Great Britain for five years, the imports including produce from Borneo, Sarawak, and other eastern places, tran.shipped at Singapore, which is thus entered as the place of export: —
—
1908
1909
1910 '
1911
1912
Imports (consignments)
£
£
£
£
£
into U.K. from the
Straits . . . \
7,892,703
8,071,981
11,584,717
12,903,048
1 14,933,943
Exports of British pro-
duce to the Straits .
3,382,219
3,370,069
4,142,832
4,39S,0-.5
1 5,026,391
Exports of foreign and
Colonial produce to
the Straits
63,388
65,673
102,919
105,688
117,962
The principal imports into the United Kingdom in 1911 were tin, 7,566,H30Z. (in 1900, 3,364,718/.); rubber, 3,354,761Z.; sago and sago meal and flour, 251,245Z.; Cassava powder and tapioca, 185,577/; gutta percha, 191,290Z.; spices, 190,670/. The principal exports from the United Kingdom were: — cottons and cotton yarn, 1,571,757/.; iron and iron and steel manufactures, 556,452/.; machinery, 245,049/.
Shipping and Navigation.
The total number of merchant vessels entered at the ports of the Colony during 1911, exclusive of native craft, was 9,849, with a tonnage of 12,047,991 tons. The number of native craft was 20,026, with a tonnage of 812,352 tons. The number of merchant vessels cleared at the ports of the colony and dependencies was 9,849, with a tonnage of 12,038,913 tons, and the total number of native craft was 20,072, with a tonnage of 825,321 tons.
Communications.
There is a railway from Singapore to Woodlands on the Johore Straits, communication between "Woodlands and Johore being maintained by steam ferries. The Perak State Railway extends from Parit Buntar in Krian to Kuala Prai in Province Wellesley, whence are steam ferries to Penang, There is a railway from Malacca to Tampin in the Negri Sembilan, All the railways have a gauge of one metre, and connect with the Federated Malay States Railway system, a continuation of which through Johore was opened in 1909. There are electric tramway sj^stems in Singapore and Penang. There are cables connecting Singapore, Malacca and Penang, and land lines from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur and Penang, and from Malacca to Tampin,
In 1911, 8,157,968 letters and articles of all kinds were posted, and 6,951,721 delivered.
In Labuan there is a railway 3 4 miles long, used chiefly for the transport
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