126 



The ground floor type of lines seems more popular with coolies 

 and it has the advantage that it is readily supervised and kept clean. 

 Overcrowding of lines must be avoided, a minimum of 30 feet of 

 floor space for each person must be insisted upon. Regular 

 inspection by a responsible person is necessary, where this is 

 neglected the lines will become dirty and evil smelling, and what is 

 even more serious light and air spaces soon become blocked up by 

 boarding, sacking or other obstruction. 



The question of sites for bungalows must next be considered, 

 the choice and maintenance of suitable sites for the European stafl^ 

 is no less important than for the labourers, frequently too little 

 consideration is given to this matter. Many of the quarters of the 

 managers and assistants are unsuitably placed on sites which are 

 hemmed in at a few yards distance by dense and lofty cultivation. 

 Apart from a lack of sufficient ventilation upon such sites and the 

 increased nuisance and danger from mosquitoes which find a safe 

 harbour in the rubber around the house, the depression to mind and 

 body from living amidst these surroundings has a very adverse 

 influence upon the health, even the occasional visitor to estates 

 must have been struck sometimes at the sombre gloom of an old 

 rubber clearing. Europeans cannot live and thrive in such environ- 

 ment and to expect from them continuous good work and good 

 health is to expect the impossible. A large clearing should be 

 made round each bungalow, it is unnecessary to up-keep extensive 

 gardens but the wages of a one or more coolies to keep cut a few 

 acres of grass-land round the house should never be grudged. 



Water Supply. 



An ample supply of good water is a valuable asset and is worth 

 much trouble to secure. When coolies can get plenty of good water 

 for both cooking and bathing purposes at or near their lines they 

 are less likely to make use of ditches, ponds, or streams, when in the 

 field. Most of the rivers and streams in this country become highlj-' 

 polluted soon after they have left the hills in which they rise, 

 it is therefore of very doubtful advantage to have a stream running 

 past the lines, nothing will stop the coolies from using it and its 

 purity must always be suspect. The best sources of supply are from 

 protected hill catchments, the water being brought to stand pipes at 

 the lines, the great value of such a supply is evident, it is usuallj^ 

 almost unlimited in quantity and its purity is generally above 

 suspicion. The initial outlay for construction of head works and 

 laying of pipes may be considerable but the expenses for upkeep are 

 small. Upon those estates where such installations exist the 

 management is relieved from much anxiety which is inevitable when 

 shallow wells of uncertain purity constitute the only source of supply 

 for a large labour force. Where a hill supply is impracticable wells 

 must be sunk and it is advisable to have bores put down in order that 



