10 
VIII. LABOUR 
48. The average daily-rated staff at the Gardens was 78. A total of 
221 man-days was lost on account of sick leave, as well as a great deal of 
time lost by people spending three to four hours attending the hospital for 
minor treatment, not covered by sick certificates. Wages amounted to $110,639 
during the year. At Government House the average labour force throughout the 
year was 57. Their health remained good. No labour trouble occurred at 
either place. 
IX. BUILDINGS AND ROADS 
49. Re-decorating of the offices and herbarium was completed early in 
the year, as was the building to house the spirit collection, which is now 
used temporarily as a library. This building is connected with the herbarium 
by a covered passage and later a small fumigation chamber was added to the 
end of it. This has been required for many years, as it is essential that her¬ 
barium specimens sent to us from other countries for study, or for incorpora¬ 
tion in our collection, should be thoroughly fumigated, as should new gather¬ 
ings by the staff, in order to prevent insect infestation which could so easily 
and so quickly do untold damage. Similarly it will be very useful for checking 
outbreaks of insect pests which damage our books and papers and for fumigat¬ 
ing introductions of live plants. The chamber was so designed that methyl 
bromide and other fumigants can be used. The main buildings at the Gardens 
in their new colours fit in very well together and with their surroundings. 
They form an attractive group. The plant house, tea-kiosk and bandstand 
were also re-decorated during the year. 
50. Work continued on the pergolas at the plant house. Two old pipe 
and angle-iron archways were removed, as were mounds and benches. The 
new flat-topped pergolas of tembusu poles are a very great improvement. 
The east side of the plant house still remains to be re-constructed. The old 
iron archway on Lawn O was demolished and replaced by a flat-topped 
brick and tembusu structure. Unfortunately the money voted as special ex¬ 
penditure to re-roof the almost-derelict fern and orchid house was withdrawn 
on the grounds of economy. 
51. The part of the Gardens which has developed most during the year 
is the new orchid enclosure, made at the end of 1954 by enclosing Lawns P 
and R with a wire mesh security fence with a double barbed-wire apron. The 
fence itself was made “monkey-proof” by electrifying two of the top wires. 
This has proved very effective and the cost of doing so will be saved in one 
year from the over-time which was paid employing a labourer throughout the 
daylight hours to keep the monkeys out of the enclosure. Within the enclosure 
structures were erected for the hanging orchids, benches were transferred and 
constructed for the orchids in pots and other pot-plants, two potting sheds (one 
for orchids and the other for miscellaneous plants), a cactus house and a shed 
for burning earth were built. Cement water tanks were constructed and the 
central tank in the Gardens’ Jungle was connected to the city water supply, 
which can now be used in an emergency, should the present supply pumped 
from the lake fail at any time. The centralising of the main work on orchids, 
pot-plants and new introductions within the orchid enclosure has obvious 
administrative advantages and permits closer supervision. 
52. No work on roads, paths and drains was done by the Public Works 
Department during the year, but the Gardens’ staff repaired the brick drains 
