 In December 1904, Sir Ernest returned to England, and in February 1904, he was appointed as the British Resident of Perak.During his administration in Perak, he had successfully reorganised the administration in Perak, and established various clubs and introduced many sports to the state.He also served as Chairman of the Eastern Smelting Company Limited, founded by Chung Thye Pin, Eu Tong Seng and others.