A new governor takes office
A Colonial Office telegram announced Sir John Anderson’s appointment as Governor of the Straits Settlements in January. The Straits Times published the news on 23 January, identifying him as a Colonial Office official. The Straits Times, 23 January 1904
Anderson travelled east aboard the P. & O. liner Chusan. On 15 April, the Singapore Free Press told readers that the ship had left Penang that morning and was expected in Singapore the following afternoon. Singapore Free Press And Mercantile Advertiser, 15 April 1904
The reception took place on Saturday, 16 April. A retrospective report described Anderson as the duly sworn governor, while the arrival account located the welcome at Johnston’s Pier and the Council Chamber. A subsequent correction specified that the Singapore Volunteer Infantry guard of honour stood at the Legislative Council buildings during the ceremonies. The Straits Budget, 20 April 1904 The Straits Times, 20 April 1904
An extraordinary Gazette followed the ceremony. On 19 April, the newspaper reported that it had been issued the previous day while carrying the date 16 April. The Straits Times, 19 April 1904
The Gazette published Anderson’s royal commission as governor and commander-in-chief in April, including his authority over the Straits Settlements’ dependencies. Its appointments notice also named Oliver Marks as the governor’s private secretary. The Straits Times, 23 April 1904
On 19 May Anderson inspected the classes and buildings at St Joseph’s Institution, accompanied by Brother Michael and the teachers. On 16 June he visited Victoria Bridge School, where acting principal D. A. Yzelmann showed him around the premises. The Straits Times, 19 May 1904 The Straits Times, 16 June 1904
Warships, diplomats and news from the Russo-Japanese War
The Japanese liner Tamba Maru was detained in Singapore in January under instructions to await further orders. The Straits Times reported on 16 January that its agents had been told to hold the vessel, a development that stimulated local speculation about war. The Straits Times, 16 January 1904
On 19 January, the Russian Volunteer Fleet steamer Kazan arrived from Odessa with troops aboard. The local report connected its arrival with earlier news that the vessel had passed through Suez with more than a thousand selected troops for the Far East. The Straits Times, 19 January 1904
The new Japanese cruiser Nisshin reached Singapore on 2 February. Japan had purchased the ship at Genoa from the Argentine government, and the newspaper interviewed Captain Lea on its arrival. The newspaper reported strong interest in Nisshin’s voyage and that of its consort, Kasuga. The Straits Times, 2 February 1904
Tokichi Tanaka arrived from Japan on 22 February and began work at the Japanese consulate the next morning. He had previously served as vice-consul in New York. On 23 June, the newspaper printed an official telegram from Tokyo received by Tanaka. The Straits Times, 23 February 1904 The Straits Times, 23 June 1904
The diplomatic traffic also moved westward. Baron Rosen, the recalled Russian minister to Tokyo, passed through Singapore aboard the Yarra at the end of February with his wife and daughter. The same ship carried the Russian consul-general from Yokohama and other members of the departing diplomatic community on its journey towards Europe. The Straits Times, 29 February 1904
In the House of Lords on 28 July, Foreign Secretary Lansdowne reported that Russian forces had seized the P. & O. steamer Malacca in the Red Sea on 13 July. Its mixed cargo included twenty-three tons of British government munitions destined for the dockyards at Hong Kong and Singapore. The passengers and most of the crew were put ashore at Port Said; the chief officer and two others remained aboard. A Russian prize crew took the vessel westward under the Russian flag. Hansard, 28 July 1904
Lansdowne explained that Britain had protested against the capturing ship’s change from a merchant vessel passing through the Dardanelles into a warship attacking neutral trade. He also argued that British government munitions could not be treated as contraband. Malacca had reached Algiers and been released on the evening of 27 July. Lansdowne also reported Russian orders preventing further Volunteer Fleet seizures and the release of two other captured steamers, Ardova and Formosa, on 27 July. Hansard, 28 July 1904
The railway: timetables, breakdowns and a mainland connection
Singapore’s railway began 1904 with a revised timetable. The notice published on 2 January advertised eight trains daily to and from Woodlands, effective from Monday, 4 January. The Straits Times, 2 January 1904
A serious interruption followed at the beginning of February. An engineer found the rails at the bridge near the eleventh mile out of position, and the bridge itself had tilted. The report on 2 February said the breakdown was worse than first believed. The Straits Times, 2 February 1904
The projected extension from Tank Road to Tanjong Pagar remained a construction task. In February, the Straits Times reported that the Federated Malay States railway authorities had been instructed to take charge of the work and advance it quickly. The Straits Times, 12 February 1904
On 9 March, the Straits Times reported that the preceding Sunday had carried 6,845 through passengers to Johore. It described the traffic as an unexpected record so early in the line’s operation. The Straits Times, 9 March 1904
A separate derailment disrupted travel in March. When the engine left the rails it went over an embankment into marshy ground. By the morning of 16 March traffic had resumed, after a period in which reopening remained uncertain and many passengers had been inconvenienced. The Straits Times, 16 March 1904
Railway administration also covered the transport of newspapers. A notice from the manager, reported on 29 March, announced that railway stamps would be issued from 1 April for carrying papers along the line. The Straits Times, 29 March 1904
The timetable was adjusted again in April. The journey’s running time was to increase by seven minutes from 11 April. The newspaper explained that the change had initially been intended for the first of the month, but holidays had complicated the alteration. The Straits Times, 2 April 1904
A further railway agreement concerned the mainland opposite Singapore. Asked in Parliament on 13 July about the remaining Johore section of the peninsula railway, Colonial Secretary Alfred Lyttelton confirmed that a convention had been signed two days earlier. The arrangement was for construction through Johore by the Federated Malay States. Hansard, 13 July 1904
Building the electric tramway
On 19 January, Chief Justice Sir Lionel Cox heard a reference under the Land Ordinance concerning property acquired by the government for the tramways. Mr Ellis represented the collector of land revenue. The Straits Times, 19 January 1904
In February, demolition was under way in the settlement between Mackenzie Road and Bukit Timah Road. The newspaper presented it as sanitary improvement and said part of the cleared block would hold the tramway power station. The Straits Times, 26 February 1904
By 10 May, construction at the Mackenzie Road power station was visibly active. The report warned that the first tramcars would still take some time to appear. The Straits Times, 10 May 1904
The tramway’s new structures entered streets already used by horses and carriages. In September, a runaway horse pulling an unattended dogcart galloped along Anson Road. The dogcart struck one of the company’s electric poles near the Hotel Netherlands. The Straits Times, 26 September 1904
Road surfaces deteriorated around the embedded rails. On 16 December, attention was drawn to Tanjong Pagar Road near Boustead Road, where heavy traffic had worn away the upper surface and exposed the tramway lines. The Straits Times, 16 December 1904
Rickshaws, carriages and motor traffic
Rickshaw disputes extended beyond collisions. In March, three pullers appeared before Mr Hooper at the Middle Road depot after a resident complained that their vehicles occupied a licensed stand while the men were absent. One puller explained that he had gone to change a dollar. The Straits Times, 16 March 1904
Existing vehicles produced frequent collisions of their own. Near Cavenagh Bridge on 11 April, a private carriage struck and smashed a rickshaw on the Post Office side of the bridge. The report described the passenger’s narrow escape; the puller was thrown to the ground. The Straits Times, 12 April 1904
In May, complaints that passengers were evading fares at the Government Offices prompted an Education Department clerk and peon to watch what happened. The Straits Times, 2 May 1904
Another runaway began at Collyer Quay on 4 May. A pony frightened while its driver was absent dashed along the road, destroying two private rickshaws and damaging a hackney carriage. The driver appeared before a magistrate the following morning. The Straits Times, 5 May 1904
Motor vehicles added a different source of alarm. On an evening in November, a large motor car emerged suddenly from traffic travelling towards town on Orchard Road. Mr Prentiss’s horse took fright and plunged into a ditch. The Straits Times, 12 November 1904
Volunteer service, inspections and exercises
Members of the Singapore Volunteer Infantry appeared in the Court of Requests in February over the recovery of capitation money. Major E. G. Broadrick brought the proceedings against men described as not meeting the required efficiency standard. The Straits Times, 5 February 1904
The volunteer camp at Tanjong Katong broke up on 4 April. The Maxim section had taken its guns back to the Drill Hall the previous day. The artillery returned to town with its six-pounders, while the volunteer engineers and infantry travelled back by launch. The Straits Times, 5 April 1904
The annual infantry inspection took place on the reclaimed ground opposite Raffles School and Raffles Hotel at the end of April. The report identified the Eurasian company and listed seventy-three men, six non-commissioned officers and one officer in its strength. The Straits Times, 2 May 1904
For the artillery’s annual inspection in May, approximately fifty non-commissioned officers and men assembled at the Drill Hall at six in the morning before marching to Tank Road station. In June, volunteers joined regular troops in a large mock battle, serving in the defending force alongside five Manchester Regiment companies, two volunteer infantry companies and the Malay States Guides. The Straits Times, 16 May 1904 The Straits Times, 13 June 1904
Water storage, restricted supplies and sanitation
The Medical Department’s report for 1904 recorded 10,937 deaths in Singapore against an estimated mean population of 246,495. Its death ratio of 44.37 per thousand was lower than 1903’s 47.77. The figures described the Singapore settlement; the same table separately listed Penang, Dindings, Province Wellesley and Malacca. Medical Report, 1904
The department nevertheless criticised Singapore’s continued overcrowding, inadequate drainage, repeated water cut-offs and near-absence of sewerage. It urged the authorities to address these defects. Its disease returns recorded 179 cases of enteric fever with 69 deaths in Singapore, compared with 148 cases and 47 deaths in 1903. Singapore’s twenty reported plague cases were all fatal. Medical Report, 1904
The annual report counted 279,297 crew and passengers examined on arrival in Singapore and 4,444 pilgrims inspected before departure. It recorded further improvements at St John’s quarantine station. The port health officer reported favourably on Hygeia, a disinfecting steam lighter fitted with a Clayton apparatus. Medical Report, 1904
The new Pearl’s Hill reservoir was described as nearly complete at the beginning of March, although testing remained to be done. The intention was to fill it gradually during the month if sufficient water could be spared. Reported daily consumption was already between five and six million gallons. The Straits Times, 2 March 1904
Construction materials could themselves create neighbourhood hazards. At the end of March, the area around the quarantine camp in Balestier Road was described as increasingly dangerous because of sand pits. Excavation continued to meet demand for building sand. The Straits Times, 29 March 1904
Residents also had to work around interruptions to the mains. In early April the municipality advertised hours during which the water supply would be stopped from 6 April. The Straits Times, 2 April 1904
The pressure on water supplies revived discussion of the Kallang extension. An April editorial recalled that its tunnel had been ordered as a quick response after the drought of 1902 frightened the town. The Straits Times, 5 April 1904
Port health measures followed ships and overseas outbreaks. In April a reported smallpox patient from a United States cruiser was removed to the quarantine station on St John’s Island. The Straits Times, 5 April 1904
Sanitary inspectors examined food as well as buildings. Six samples of milk were collected from itinerant sellers on a Sunday in April. Four were found badly adulterated, and the sellers were summoned to court. The Straits Times, 29 April 1904
Pumping into Pearl’s Hill had begun by May. The available apparatus could not supply that reservoir and Mount Sophia simultaneously, so Pearl’s Hill was attended to at night. The Straits Times, 10 May 1904
In May, Amoy and Hong Kong were gazetted as infected ports because of bubonic plague. The Straits Times, 12 May 1904
Residents of Park Road complained in June that recently built houses had such poor drainage that they endangered the surrounding neighbourhood. The Straits Times, 16 June 1904
Water was also requested for keeping dust down. A correspondent in September asked the municipality to water Anson, South Bridge and New Bridge roads, identifying them as busy routes with heavy vehicle traffic. The Straits Times, 26 September 1904
A further municipal notice at the end of October announced daily water restrictions beginning on 1 November. The Straits Times, 29 October 1904
In November the port health officer, Dr Brooke, was informed that two Bengali crew members of the British India steamer Kistna were ill. He went aboard to examine them; the published report identified the concern as suspected plague. The Straits Times, 16 November 1904
Port restrictions could be withdrawn as well as imposed. On 23 December the harbour authorities announced cholera at Bulukomba in South Celebes while lifting the plague restrictions against Tongkah. The Straits Times, 23 December 1904
The campaign for a medical school
On 8 September, Tan Jiak Kim and other community representatives petitioned Governor Anderson for a medical school in Singapore, training residents of the colony and Federated Malay States for government service and general practice. The reply of 4 October warned that only about two hundred boys annually had sufficient education. It proposed subscriptions of $71,000 for converted premises, equipment and a scholarship endowment, after which Anderson would seek public funding for staff, maintenance and student awards. Y. K. Lee, medical-school founding
By early November, the campaign was producing subscriptions. The Straits Times welcomed the government’s promise to cooperate with Tan Jiak Kim’s scheme and reported that he had already secured more than $37,000. The college remained a proposal. The Straits Budget, 10 November 1904
The fundraising scheme also offered recognition through named scholarships. A notice on 7 November explained that qualifying contributors could have a scholarship named after them, and that Tan Jiak Kim’s contribution entitled him to four. The Straits Times, 7 November 1904
The proposed institution remained in the news in December. A report relayed from the Pinang Gazette said subscriptions were advancing and that Dr Freer had accepted a professorship in the planned college. The Straits Times, 12 December 1904
The harbour scheme meets organised opposition
A January notice to mariners identified a physical hazard at the harbour’s eastern entrance in the South Channel. A survey by the commander of a British warship had examined a shoal with three pinnacle heads and only eleven feet of water at low-water springs. The warning was published through the Government Gazette. The Straits Times, 16 January 1904
The Tanjong Pagar Dock Company conducted its own financial business. An extraordinary general meeting at the Singapore Exchange in June considered resolutions introduced by chairman W. P. Waddell; the report described enlarged borrowing powers. Another extraordinary meeting on 27 June confirmed a special resolution adopted at the earlier meeting. The Straits Times, 13 June 1904 The Straits Times, 27 June 1904
The Chamber of Commerce called its September meeting with an explicit purpose: to protest against the proposed harbour scheme. The announcement set the meeting at the Exchange Room on 22 September. The Straits Times, 10 September 1904
The meeting produced substantial disagreement with the scheme. A Straits Echo report drew on Singapore newspapers and described its rejection by an overwhelming majority. The discussion occupied more than seven columns in the Singapore reports. Straits Echo, 30 September 1904
The Chamber then sent a four-member committee to present its case to the governor. Anderson received the deputation in the Council Chamber on 21 October, together with the Chamber’s memorial on the proposed harbour improvements. The Straits Budget, 27 October 1904
A. Huttenbach offered a further set of suggestions about what the port actually needed. The report published on 24 October prominently called for a port trust and recalled the Chamber’s decision to ask the government to reconsider the scheme. The Straits Times, 24 October 1904
The controversy also entered the programme of the Chinese Christian Association. Its notice at the end of November announced a debate at Prinsep Street Church on whether the harbour scheme would benefit the colony. The Straits Times, 29 November 1904
School calendars, commercial examinations and voluntary support
School reopening dates reflected different calendars. Raffles Girls’ School announced a return to classes on Monday, 18 January. The Straits Times, 16 January 1904
The Singapore Nursing Association held its annual general meeting at the Town Hall on 4 March, chaired by Miss Taylor. Members adopted the report on the association’s work. The Straits Times, 5 March 1904
The Singapore Chinese Girls’ School in Hill Street announced reopening on 7 March after its Chinese New Year recess. The Straits Times, 5 March 1904
The Singapore Young Women’s Christian Association held a sale of work at the Town Hall on 25 March. The event was organised in aid of the association’s funds. The Straits Times, 26 March 1904
Raffles headmaster C. M. Phillips published a textbook of the Malay Peninsula with the Education Department’s approval. The May announcement described its combination of history, geography and commercial information. The Straits Times, 10 May 1904
The Chamber of Commerce examination held on 4 June tested English conversation, copying a draft letter, composing a letter from an outline, handwriting and arithmetic. The Straits Times, 16 June 1904
Children also performed in activities outside the classroom. At the Methodist Episcopal Church in Coleman Street on 12 June, the Children’s Day evening service consisted largely of singing, with recitations by the children themselves. The following day’s account described a large gathering and credited the young participants with carrying out the programme successfully. The Straits Times, 13 June 1904
On 16 June, the Anglo-Chinese School invited the public to the final day of its annual sports, scheduled for the following afternoon in Orchard Road. The Straits Times, 16 June 1904
The Chinese Girls’ School advertised its customary half-yearly sale of fancy articles at the Town Hall for 24 and 25 June. The announced sale was intended to raise money for the school’s funds. The Straits Times, 16 June 1904
The Children’s Aid Society held its annual meeting in the municipal offices in September, with W. R. Collyer presiding. Its principal business included passing the annual reports. The Straits Times, 12 September 1904
The Church Work Association sought donations of new and old clothing for a sale at the Sailors’ Home on 5 November. Contributions were to be sent to its secretary, Mrs A. Robertson, at Cavenagh Road. The Straits Times, 2 November 1904
A bazaar for the convent attached to St Anthony’s Girls’ School opened on 1 December in the school building in Middle Road. The building had been decorated with flags and palms for the fundraising event. The Straits Times, 2 December 1904
Congregations, foundations and public religious life
At the Tank Road temple, the Thaipusam festivities continued into the night of 1 February. The building was crowded, and the Manchester Regiment’s band played music at intervals. The newspaper also recorded numerous European visitors during the evening. The Straits Times, 2 February 1904
Religious associations also used public performance and commemorations. The British and Foreign Bible Society’s centenary meeting at the Town Hall on 7 March was chaired by Acting Governor W. T. Taylor, with Bishop Hose among those present. A second meeting followed later that week. The Straits Times, 9 March 1904 The Straits Times, 12 March 1904
The Buddhist Mission in Havelock Road circulated a declaration in March addressing an international audience. It argued that material civilisation had left people dissatisfied and that Buddhism offered spiritual resources they were seeking. The Straits Times, 9 March 1904
The Buddhist Mission held special services for the Buddhist New Year at the end of April. About three hundred people attended, according to the report published on 2 May, and a feast followed the services. The Straits Times, 2 May 1904
The Chinese Christian Association announced a debate on monopolies for its May meeting at Prinsep Street Church. Choo Sian Kim was to argue that monopolies harmed the colony’s interests, with Dr Sia Teng Boh opposing the motion. The Straits Times, 12 May 1904
Another church project concerned the Hokkien Chinese congregation. A notice in June directed those wishing to attend its foundation-stone ceremony to the site near the junction of Neil Road and Tanjong Pagar Road. Governor Anderson was expected to lay the stone. The Straits Times, 20 June 1904
At St Joseph’s Church, members of the congregation met in the parochial house after High Mass in August to discuss a new church building. A subsequent report described the laying of its foundation stone. Singapore Free Press And Mercantile Advertiser, 15 August 1904 The Straits Times, 22 August 1904
On 2 October, the Havelock Road Buddhist Mission marked the first anniversary of its founding. The ceremony included the ordination of a European novice, which the following day’s report described as an unusual event in Singapore. The Straits Times, 3 October 1904
Temple administration could reach the colonial courts. In October, the trustees of a Kallang Road temple were summoned over failure to comply with a municipal notice requiring demolition of part of a reconstructed compound wall. The case invoked section 151 of the Municipal Ordinance. The Straits Times, 26 October 1904
Another October report concerned the South Bridge Road temple’s receiver, who had been ordered to keep the peace in September. Justice Thornton quashed that order on appeal. The Straits Times, 26 October 1904
Currency controls reach the courts
Counterfeit coins also affected wages. A builder and contractor was sentenced in January to six months’ rigorous imprisonment after paying three workers a counterfeit dollar each. The government analyst described imitation new-currency coins made mainly of tin with a little copper. The Straits Times, 23 January 1904
In May, three men appeared before a magistrate charged with importing about nine hundred Mexican dollars, contrary to an order under Ordinance XXIV of 1903. The Straits Times, 10 May 1904
A second prosecution in June concerned a traveller arriving from Hong Kong on his way to Penang, charged with bringing Mexican dollars and a Japanese yen into the colony. He had come ashore in Singapore, where a revenue officer searched his belongings. The Straits Times, 6 June 1904
Accidents at the docks
Work at the docks carried immediate physical risks. In April, a gangway broke while workers were going aboard Zaida at Tanjong Pagar, throwing them back onto the wharf. The Straits Times, 12 April 1904
An engine accident at Tanjong Pagar on 21 November killed a Scottish engine driver employed by the dock company. A separate report on 26 November recorded a labourer killed after being struck by an engine at the docks. The Straits Times, 23 November 1904 The Straits Times, 26 November 1904
Fighting fires
The fire aboard Glenturret burned for nearly twenty hours before being extinguished at two in the morning on 2 March. Firefighters confined the outbreak to the main hold, but had to flood that part of the vessel up to the hatches. The Straits Times, 2 March 1904
A fire in a large three-storey building in Upper Hokkien Street burned out two houses on 18 September. The building stood near the Central Police Station; the preliminary account associated the start of the fire with a fallen lamp. The Straits Times, 19 September 1904
On the night of 15 October, the owner of a sawmill at Kallang Pudding telephoned the police after fire broke out. Police and the fire brigade went to the scene under F. K. Jennings. The Straits Times, 17 October 1904
Near midnight on 22 December, a passer-by discovered a fire at a toy shop in Orchard Road. The report the next day described the shop as burned out. The Straits Times, 23 December 1904
Moving pictures, touring companies and local performers
An Edison cinematograph programme was advertised for the Town Hall in January. On the proposed evening, 26 January, the organisers made the exhibition dependent on the weather clearing. A later report confirms a showing on 28 January, attended by a fairly numerous audience, although the pictures disappointed the newspaper’s reviewer. The Straits Times, 23 January 1904 The Straits Times, 26 January 1904 The Straits Times, 29 January 1904
The Town Hall also housed touring musical theatre. The Dallas Company performed Three Little Maids on 8 February before a crowded audience; the account described an evening of roughly three hours, with intervals. Three nights later the company staged The College Girl, again attracting a full house. The Straits Times, 9 February 1904 The Straits Times, 12 February 1904
Wayang Kassim drew audiences to a different theatrical repertoire. Its performance of Roesina at the end of February was reported to have attracted European and local spectators. The Straits Times, 29 February 1904 The Straits Times, 23 January 1904
The Philharmonic Society announced plans to resume choir practices at the beginning of March, with a proposal to perform The Holy City again if enough members attended. The Straits Times, 29 February 1904
Local associations mounted performances of their own. A concert and variety entertainment by members of the Straits Chinese Recreation Club at Hong Lim Green was repeated in March by special request. The repeat attracted a large audience, according to the newspaper. The Straits Times, 16 March 1904
In April, Wayang Kassim produced the farce Zulmi-i-Vahashee. The Straits Times, 5 April 1904
The Fanny Stanley company moved between civilian and military venues. It staged Pirates of Penzance at the Town Hall on 25 April, then performed East Lynne at the regimental theatre in Tanglin later that week. A variety programme followed at Tanglin on Saturday. The Straits Times, 26 April 1904 The Straits Times, 29 April 1904 The Straits Times, 2 May 1904
The Town Hall’s future use was itself under discussion. On 11 May, the Singapore Municipal Commission held a special meeting to consider plans for converting the existing hall into a theatre. Dr Middleton attended as deputy president. The Straits Times, 12 May 1904
In December, the Philharmonic Society’s chorus and orchestra gave Cowen’s The Rose Maiden at the Town Hall. The Straits Times, 5 December 1904
The season continued into December with several kinds of performance. An Italian opera at the Town Hall on 10 December was attended by the governor and Miss Anderson. On 17 December, artillerymen gathered at the Fort Canning theatre for a burlesque version of Cinderella written by Lieutenant Biggs. The Straits Times, 12 December 1904 The Straits Times, 19 December 1904
A football league and the limits of the playing ground
A meeting to consider establishing a football league was announced at the YMCA building for 7 January. Military and civilian clubs had promised to send representatives to consider the proposal. By 9 January, the Rangers were among the teams entered for membership. The Straits Times, 5 January 1904 The Straits Times, 9 January 1904
Before the league’s opening, the YMCA had arranged matches with several other local sides. Its 5 January fixture notice named a police team for that afternoon at Raffles Reclamation ground. Further opponents included the Warders, Army Temperance Association, Fort Canning and Nomads, with games arranged through 24 February. The Straits Times, 5 January 1904
The opening match of the Singapore Association Football League was played on 1 March between Tanjong Pagar Football Club and the YMCA, on Tanjong Pagar’s ground. The Straits Times, 2 March 1904
Results in June show the mixture of participating teams. The Rovers drew 1–1 with Tanjong Pagar, the 62nd Company of the Royal Artillery defeated the Army Temperance Association 3–1, and Blakan Mati beat the Singapore Volunteer Infantry 2–0. The Straits Times, 9 June 1904 The Straits Times, 5 January 1904
Matches also continued outside the league. In June, a John Little and Company side beat St Joseph’s Club by one goal on the old jail site. Later that month, the Rovers defeated Raffles School 2–1 in a friendly at People’s Park. The Straits Times, 23 June 1904 The Straits Times, 27 June 1904
Conditions at the Esplanade limited the game towards the end of the year. A December match between a club team and a combined artillery-and-engineers side was played on ground badly affected by rain, hindering dribbling. By the following week parts of the ground were under water and football had become impossible there, although improved weather raised hopes of resuming play. The Straits Times, 16 December 1904 The Straits Times, 23 December 1904
The Cricket Club’s cricket and football teams left by P. & O. steamer on 23 December for holiday fixtures in Penang and Taiping. A subsequent report from Ipoh recorded Singapore’s football defeat by Perak, three goals to nil. The Straits Times, 23 December 1904 The Straits Times, 29 December 1904
Continue to Singapore in 1905. Explore the Singapore history Atlas.