162 THE RUBBER INDUSTRY 



for boys and girls from thirteen to sixteen years of age. 

 There is a slight tendency to a higher wage rate, 

 induced, probably, by the demand from the Malay 

 Peninsula for this same class of labourers. 



The hours of work in Ceylon are from 6 a.m. to 

 4 p.m. on six days in the week for ordinary labour, and 

 seven for tapping ; but a very great proportion of the 

 work is by task, and can as a rule be finished much 

 earlier in the day. Discipline on the estates is well 

 maintained, and it is seldom any serious dispute arises 

 between employer and labourer. The standard of 

 living is low according to European ideas, but adequate 

 for the class of labourer engaged. They are well 

 housed in permanent lines, constructed with steel 

 frames, galvanized iron roofing, plastered walls, and 

 6-foot wide verandas. These barracks are divided into 

 rooms 10 feet by 12 feet, and four coolies are allotted 

 to each room. The usual custom is for these buildings 

 to contain twelve rooms, built at a cost of Rs. 120 per 

 room. The distribution of the rooms is left to the dis- 

 cretion of the head kangany. The food consists of 

 rice, supplemented by curry, dried fish, vegetables, and 

 fruit. Occasionally meat and chicken are eaten, but 

 not as a regular diet. Rice is supplied at cost price by 

 the estate, and always at a cheaper rate than in the 

 bazaars. The estates are compelled to establish and 

 maintain free primary schools for the benefit of the 

 children of the Indian coolies employed. 



In addition to the Tamil labourers, the Sinhalese are 

 now employed much more frequently than formerly. 

 The objection raised by the planters to this class of 

 coolie labour is that the wage rate is higher, averaging 



