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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 staff 
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 highly 
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 usually 
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 
