Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1372

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1250

SIAM

national food and the staple article of export. For the Siamese Yeai^ 130 (April 1 1911, to March 31, 1912), the rice export amounted to 627,467 tons valued at 4,989,458?. In Siam there are 67 large rice mills, of which 2 are British, 2 German, and 63 Chinese, 6 of these Chinese firms being nominally British, i.e. from Hong Kong or the Straits Settlements. Other produce is pepper, salt, dried fish, cattle, and sesame ; while, lor local consumption only, hemp, tobacco, cotton, and coffee are grown Fruits are abundant, including the durian, mangosteen, and mango. Much of Upper Siam is dense forest, and the cutting of teak is an important industry, almost entirely in British hands. In 1910-11 (Siamese year, 129), 89 154 tons were eyported ; in 1911-12, the exports amounted to 75,080 tons valued at 463,180/. The forests are under the control of an English conservator, aided by several English officers. The export ol fibber is now negligible, but planting of rubber trees is proceeding m the Malay Peninsula. Gold is found in many of the provinces, and concessions have been granted to mining companies. The small mineral resources ot Siam are extensive and varied, including tin, coal and iron, zinc, man- ganese, antimony, probably quicksilver. Tin mining on a considerable scale LS pursued on the island of Tongkah (or Junk Ceylon) and the ore is found in other parts of the Siamese portion of the Malay Peninsula whei-e also wolfram is now being extracted in considerable quantity. From Puket (the port of Junk Ceylon) in 1911-12, 2,022 tons of tin and 4,369 tons ol ore were exported.

Commerce.

Nearly the whole of the trade is in the hands of foreigners, and in recent years many Chinese have settled in the country. The foreign trade of Siam centres in Bangkok, the capital.

For the year 1911-12 the value of the articles imported and exported were :

Imports

Cotton goods .

Provisions

Treasure .

Iron, steel and machinery

Silk goods

Opium

Sugar

Jewellery .

Petroleum

Cotton yarns .

Beer, wine and spirits

Oils, other than petroleum

Gunny bags

Tobacco .

Chemical products .

Hardware and cutlery

Carriages, cars, cycles and

parts thereof . Coal and coke . Other articles .

Total

£

1,080,958

504,315

373,590

296,383

'287,954

23-2,5&2

209,558

185.7015

134,435

115,073

109,218

95,501

91,945

90,7G5

88,560

86,962

82,120.

17,246

1,459,692,

5,542,563

Exports

Rice . . . •

Teak

Marine products .

Hides

Silk, piece goods

Pepper

Treasure .

Bullocks .

Wood other than Teak

Raw silk .

Pinea]iples

Horns

Swine