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Chapter 3, Law and Order, Healthcare, Education, Facilities, External…
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Law and Order
William Farquhar made his son-in-law, Francis James Bernard, the chief police officer
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Police force only had a chief police officer, one writer, one jailor, one European sergeant and eight Asian policemen.
In 1843, Thomas Dunman was appointed as Deputy Magistrate, Superintendent of Police, and Singapore's first full-time Commissioner of Police in 1857
Thomas Dunman fought for better working conditions and higher wages, attracting more men
By 1871, he reduced gang robberies and improved the quality and morale of the police officers
In 1881, a police training school was opened
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By 1930s, they were equipped with the use of telephones, motor cars, and radio communications
Chinese migrants who could not pay for their travel find would find a coolie agent paying for their passage money. Some coolies were even tricked or kidnapped
In return, they would work for any employer for free for a year or two who paid the coolie agent. The migrants were usually provided food and lodgings
The demand for Chinese coolies could also be found in Australia, the United States, the plantations in Java and Sumatra, and the Malaya tin mines
Coolie living conditions were poor, from the overcrowded ships to the houses they were locked up in
Secret societies helped members find work or lodgings, protecting them, and giving them a proper burial after death
Secret societies also took part in gang robberies, gang fights, and other forms of lawlessness
No British officials understood the various Chinese dialects, and could not find out anything about the secret societies
In May 1877, Willian Pickering was appointed as the first Protector of the Chinese, and could speak several dialects, understanding the secret societies
The Dangerous Society Ordinance in 1890 allowed the government to banish Chinese migrants and abolish any society deemed too dangerous back to China, where they were likely to face execution without trial
All Chinese societies had to register with the Chinese Protectorate, who would persuade them to settle their quarrels at the Chinese Protectorate
Pickering' officers would visit every coolie ship and house to ensure they were being treated fairly
The Protectorate set up 保良局 (Po Leung Kuk), rescuing many young girls from being sold to brothels, or servants
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The Straits Settlements lacked any legal way to punish the pirates, only sending a few gunboats from India after many appeals
The 3 gunboats were not enough to curb the pirates effectively, until the 1870s due to the increased patrolling by the British and other European powers
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Healthcare
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Before the 1860s, the Asian population suffered from malnutrition, overcrowding, and poor sanitation, contributing to a high death rate.
In 1887, the Public Health Department was set up to tackle health issues in the town area
A malaria committee was set up to supervise the draining of swamps, replacing the bucket system with a modern water-carriage system, and clearing dirty streets and drains
Attempts were made to improve housing conditions, such as reducing overcrowding in living quarters in Chinatown
In 1882, a general hospital was built on Outram Road to provide some form of public healthcare
In 1886, a quarantine law was passed whereby passengers arriving in Singapore by sea had to be checked by a doctor. Those found to be suffering from infectious diseases like smallpox or cholera were isolated
Despite the British's efforts, the death rate was still higher than the birth rate
A cause for the death rate was overcrowded, unhygienic, and poorly ventilated shophouses, spreading highly contagious diseases like tuberculosis and cholera
Another cause for the death rate is there was a poor understanding of certain diseases in the 19th century
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Education
Education was not a main priority of the British as they were only interested in developing Singapore as a trading port
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The British also established a few Tamil schools, but no Chinese schools were subsidised
From 1867, the British promoted English as the medium of instruction to create a supply of English-speaking clerks in the government and companies.
To do this, they provided grants to schools that imparted English to students whose home language was not English
From 1911, Chinese communities helped build their own schools
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Facilities
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In 1852, the New Harbour was built between two smaller islands, having deeper waters than the Old Harbour to allow steamships and sailing ships to sail right up to it
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In 1913, the government set up the Singapore Harbour Board to make further improvements to the board
New wharves, docks, storehouses, and machine shops were built. Modern machinery, such as forklifts, cranes, and tractors were used for unloading goods
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In 1924, the Causeway between Singapore and Malaya was opened
External Developments
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The Suez Canal
Before its opening, ships travelling between Europe and Asia had to make a long and dangerous journey around the Cape of Good Hope, taking at least 120 days
On 17 November 1869, the Suez Canal opened, shortening the journey from London to Singapore to about 50 days
The time for people, mail, and cargo to travel from Europe to Singapore was shortened, resulting in lower shipping costs
The volume of ships passing through the Straits of Melaka and calling at the port of Singapore to refuel and collect food supplies increased
Use of steamships increased as sailing ships could not use the Suez Canal throughout the year, enhancing Singapore's role as a coaling station as steamships had to stop at regular intervals to refuel with huge quantities of coal and fresh water
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Great Depression
In the early 1920s, companies in the United States were making huge profits, resulting in many people buying shares
Buy 1929, companies were losing money from overproducing, resulting in people selling shares, leading to more shares sold
Many sold their belongings to pay off debt from loaning money to buy shares,
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Spending on goods decreased, resulting in companies cutting wages of workers and laying off some of them, leading to the rise of unemployment
Rubber and tin were overproduced, leading to their prices falling drastically.
Companies suffered losses and had to retrench workers. Jobs were difficult to find, with a job vacancy resulting in hundreds applying
Many unemployed had to depend on their friends or family, with many migrants having to return home
The government passed the Aliens Ordinance, restricting and reducing the number of unskilled Chinese labourers entering Singapore
By 1934, business conditions in the United States and other countries improved, so exports from Singapore began to increase again
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