BURMA AND INDIA, 
439 
A Joint Conference. 
So far as general health measures are concerned, the investi- 
yations already made show with sufficient clarity what is required, and 
Sovernment should now take the necessary steps. In respect of housing, 
there should be a frank recognition of joint responsibility. The munici- 
pality, to whom the care of the health of the people of Rangoon has 
been directly entrusted, are primarily, but not solely, responsible. The 
health and housing of Rangoon are the concern of Burma as a whole. 
The difficulties of the city arise partly from the fact that it has to shelter 
immigrant and emigrant labour, which finds employment in other parts 
of the province at certain seasons. (Government cannot leave the muni- 
cipality to face the difficulties unaided. Employers also have a measure 
of responsibility, and when they import labour, this responsibility 
becomes greater. We recommend that the line of action, and the share 
to be taken by the parties concerned, be now determined at a con- 
ference. This should be convened by Government and should include 
representatives of Government, of the municipality, of employers, of 
the Development Trust and of the port authorities, with some who are 
able to voice the needs of labour. We do not suppose that the solution 
of the housing problem of Rangoon will be simple, but the need of 
action is imperative, and with vigour and co-operation the difficulties 
can be overcome. 
Attraction to Immigrant. 
We have been dwelling mainly on the hardships which many 
mmigrant labourers have to endure in Rangoon. But it is obvious that 
large-scale emigration could not continue if these represented the whole 
of the picture. The emigrant goes to Burma because he wishes to better 
his condition and because he knows that others have bettered their con- 
dition by so doing. The main attraction which Burma offers is that of a 
comparatively high wage. We have indicated in an earlier chapter that 
the general level of industrial wages is higher than in any Indian pro- 
vince ; the bulk of the labour is drawn from areas where the standard of 
living is particularly low, even for India. For example, the prevailing 
rates of wages for unskilled labour in most Madras districts would appear 
to be generally between 7 annas and 4 annas a day ; and lower rates than 
% annas are not infrequent in the Telugu districts. Mr. Bennison, in his 
zeport on the standard of living (1928), estimated the average monthly 
income of single Tamils, Telugus and Uriyas at Rs. 24-4-9, of single 
Hindustanis at Rs. 26 and of Chittagonians at Rs. 29-5-3. He gave the 
average remittances to dependents for these groups at Rs. 7-7-8, Rs. 8-10-0 
and Rs. 9-0-3. The figures on which these are based were usually derived 
from estimates supplied by the workers, and we are not clear as to how the 
figures for income were calculated and, in particular, as to the extent to 
which allowance was made for unemployment or the casual character of 
employment. But there can be no doubt that work in Rangoon and else- 
where in Burma is paid for at rates which are far in excess of anything the 
average immiorant could obtain in the area from which he comes. The