| Description | These letters are pinned together. It appears William Webber travelled to Malaya to work on a rubber plantation. These letters to his mother and father are very descriptive of the inhabitants and the rubber plantation business and subjects include the journey on SS Gleniffer which travelled through Gibraltar, Malta, Port Said, Colomobo and arrived in Penang on 12 January. There are other letters but the following are listed because of the interesting subject matter.
Letter dated 8 February 1926: Mentions the local customs, dress, weather. His job on the Singapore Para Estate, Perhentian Tinggi is to keep the 'big Check Roll' which requires entering the days a 'cooly' works. There are 350 'Tamil coolies', 150 tappers and explains the methods in obtaining a good day's work. On Saturdays he goes to Seremban and spends the evening at the Sungei Ujong Club. Mentions game-hunting. This letter has a bird's-eye sketch of his house and the local wildlife (different types of ant) and rubber plantations and the complexity of the Tamil language compared to Malay.
18 February 1926 mentions the Tamils and how ill-treatment might send them off to someone else 'as every one wants coolies'. There are 3 estates, Hausa, Margot and P.T. His dress tends to be a sarong and baju.
23 February 1926: they get 600lb per diem but hopes that will increase to 1200lb which means $45,000 a month. Explains in detail the process of tapping a tree to extract rubber.
11 March 1926 has purchased a gramophone but there is no electricity yet and mentions the payment of 'coolies'. Speaks of the risk of fires in the dry weather.
17 March 1926 attends a Javanese wedding and describes the ceremony.
23 April 1926 has joined the St George's Society which is for the English only.
27 May 1926: there is an epidemic of malaria. The next financial year should yield 600,000lbs, bringing $400,000 profit.
13 July 1926: the directors have been sending telegrams because of a shortage of rubber. Mentions the wages of the workers and how the 'coolie's work. Has recruited some from India but these tend to be weeders.
9 September 1926: the crop has reached 100,000lb but an 80% restriction is coming on next month. Rugger [rugby] is starting next month. Speaks of the variety of races, English, Malaya, Chinese, Tamils, Sikhs, Indian Telegans, Malian and others.
19 September 1926: the countryside is depressingly boring with rows upon rows of identical trees. Keeps fever at bay with quinine.
8 November 1926: is now working at the Jorak Estate, Muar, Johore, and describes the workforce and the type of plantation in detail.
9 December 1926: has joined the Civil Service Club in Muar and the Lanadron Club.
17 July 1927: describes the method to cook food with a sketch of the hearth used, poisonous snakes, monkeys and birds.
25 July 1927: decribes the cost of living for the inhabitants. The Javanese are governed by the Mohameddan law. The Chinese are very enterprising and mentions the different languages he hears every day.
18 August 1927: has killed a 38 inch cobra in his bathroom.
6 September 1927: the directors have reduced expenditure but want maximum amount with minimum expenditure.
18 September 1927: has an attack of Dengue which is caused by the Culex mosquito. Is hoping for a bumper harvest.
8 January 1928: has been summoned to serve as assessor in a criminal case at the Muar Court. There are no juries in the country.
14 March 1928: Mentions the rubber slump and its effects on the workforce where many are now out of work.
9 May 1928: Explains his wages in detail
18 December 1928: everyone is working to excess and the aim is to produce rubber at below 6d per lb. The companies prefer the 'public school type' to manage the labour on the plantations. Over the past few years Dunlop as taken over some estates but used 'secondary school type'. Formation of the Incorporated Society of Planters to protect interests and set a standard of planters knowledge. The native Malay are employed only as driver and fitters.
21 March 1929: Is on holiday in Calcutta.
19 November 1929: Mentions the Weir family and has suffered financial problems
23 July 1930: mentions the Tamils' method of working to get the minimum pay.
13 August 1930: has very little to write about 'One sees, hears and thinks nothing but RUBBER-and the subject palls a bit after a time'.
10 November 1930 and 26 January 1931: discusses the economics of the rubber plantation.
13 March 1931: the area is 'rotten with Communists'. Russia sends money to Singapore agents who travel around handing out literature which reaches the 'coolies' encouraging them to strike. Those that have are sent back to China to be executed.
7 April 1931: Thanks his parents for the seeds they sent for his garden. Some do not flower as it is too hot. They are to have a 'pukka air mail at last'. |