Report of the Royal Commission on Labour in India

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 1850495947

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-233603

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Report of the Royal Commission on Labour in India

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: His Majesty's Stationery Off.

Year of publication:: 1931

Scope:: xviii, 580 S.; graph. Darst., Kt.

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

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Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter XV. - Housing of the industrial worker

Collection:: Economics Books

292 CHAPTER XV. approach to the question along these lines would not only provide sani- tary houses and remove congestion, but foster thrift and self-reliance among the workers. For example, Governments and local authorities could encourage the formation of co-operative building societies by per- mitting recognised societies to build in areas already laid out and pre- pared for housing schemes. Employers willing to improve the housing conditions of their own workers might also assist in their development by granting loans, by giving subsidies or by themselves carrying out part of the work of construction. The best results are likelv to be secured by joint action. Erection of Houses by Workers. When suitable areas are cleared, provided with sanitary re- quirements and water supplies, and the land made ready for building, the public authority responsible might build plinths and then lease out the sites to workers, permitting them to erect houses to their own design under the minimum of supervision. A certain degree of supervision is essential in such cases. We found a scheme of the kind where loans were made to workers for the building and repair of houses, but no control was exercised regarding capacity, dimensions and materials, so that prevail- ing bad conditions were perpetuated. We suggest that such schemes would be greatly improved if specifications were incorporated in the agreement under which a loan is made. Under similar arrangements it might also be possible to provide houses for workers on a hire-purchase system. We were impressed with the possibilities of the scheme on these lines evolved by the Empress Mills in Nagpur, and we suggest that a wider use of this method might be considered by public bodies and by employers. On occasion it might be possible to open up land and permit workers to construct their own dwellings on plinths provided by the local authority, but here also municipal health departments should effect general supervision and insist on compliance with minimum re- quirements. A similar scheme has been put into actual practice in Jamshedpur. Roads have been laid out on an hexagonal plan in such a way as to leave abundant open spaces, and plinths are provided on sites arranged in groups to meet the customs and desires of different communities. This plan is only possible where building land is plentiful, but it is one which incorporates features with which the workers are familiar and is, therefore, the more likely to meet with success. Provision has been made for schemes of the same kind by several railways. Subordinate staffs are allowed house-building advances amounting to 12 months’ pay to enable them to build houses for them- selves. This facility, however, is not utilised to any great extent because of transfers and very rarely is it used by the lower-paid staffs. Workers’ Outlook. We are aware of the workers’ present shortcomings in respect of sanitary habits, but we feel that little attempt has been made in the past to assist them in reaching a higher standard. It has been suggested

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