749 GENERAL REPORT ON THE RESIDENCY OF SINGAPORE. 
dollars,* at 4s 6d to the dollar, when bricklayers wages are at 5s 
fid and labourers at 3s 6d ; thus, one labourer and one bricklayer 
in England would take 4.44 days to complete this quantity. In 
Singapore a rod of brick work costs Drs 4.95, bricklayers being 
paid 38 cents and labourers 20 cents—thus one bricklayer and one 
labourer would take 8.54 days, we have consequently in this species 
of labour, the work of an Englishman to that of a Chinaman as 
2,25 to 1.17 or 100 to 52 $ again in 
Earth work 
In removing earth in England by the barrow, stages of running 
are 20 yards each, and the price per stage Id per yard, it is » 
however usual for the principal contractor to bargain with his 
gangsman or foreman at a price per yard, not exceeding 20 yards 
from the face of the cutting, and at the rate of a Id per yard extra 
for every stage of twenty yards beyond the first stage. Thus stuff 
requiring 1 getter and 3 fillers would cost 4d per yard. It must 
be here observed that one man can wheel to the distance of twenty 
yards for fillers, or from 40 to 50 yards per diem; thus the cost of 
6 d per yard is incurred, filling 3d, getting Id, wheeling two extra 
stages 2d. At this rate of pay six men will remove about 42 yards 
and earn for their labour 3s 6d per day; each filler filling 14 
yards and removing it from the face to the distance, as it increases 
from I to 20 yards.* 
In Singapore while executing a road across the Island by Chi¬ 
nese contractors, I had accounts taken of the number of men 
employed on each contract, and have consequently good data for 
comparing it with the above. Thus in one contract suitable to our 
purpose, earth was laid on a road that crossed a swamp, where the 
earth was taken from both ends. The length was 1,200 feet or 
400 yards—the depth 1 foot or } of a yard, and the breadth 21 
feet or 7 yards. The actual cost to contractor in labour was 42 
Spanish dollars, and the number of days work was 326, the wages 
being nearly 13 cents per diem. Now by estimating the same 
work in England with the data above given, the work would be 
divided into 20 stages of 20 yards eaeh, and each would contain 
461 cubic yards. The first stage at each end would require 3 getters 
and 1 filler for 42 cubic yards in a day, or to complete its cubical 
contents 4.4 days work, would be required. The next stage would 
require 3 getters, 1 filler, and 1 barrow man, or require 5.5 days 
work, the next stage would require 6,6 days work, and so on, as 
will be seen more clearly below. 
* Skyrings price book. 
* Ilughea on road making. 
