WORKING CONDITIONS IN FACTORIES, 65
Water,
The Factories Act requires a sufficient supply of suitable drink-
ing water, and many employers realise the importance of providing a
liberal amount of cool and pure water ; but standards in this respect vary
considerably. Wherever possible, a piped supply should be made
available with an adequate number of taps, but care should be taken to
protect the pipes from heating by the sun or other agency. Where a piped
supply cannot be secured, the water is best stored in large earthenware
vessels at fixed places in the factory, where it can be distributed by water-
men, but care should be taken to prevent contamination and the possible
diffusion of disease. The provision of suitable washing facilities for all
employees is very desirable, and here many factories are deficient. The
workers who live in crowded areas have inadequate facilities for washing
at their homes and bathing facilities would add to their comfort, health
and efficiency. We recommend that for workers in dirty processes (e.g.,
tanneries) the provision of washing places and water should be made obli-
ratory.
Creches.
Creches are not uncommon in factories employing women, and
some we saw were admirably staffed and equipped ; others, if better than
nothing, still left much to be desired ; yet others were both dirty and in-
adequately furnished. In many of the factories employing women in
substantial numbers, no creches have been provided, and this is particu-
larly true of the Bengal jute mills, where caste feeling and the reluctance
of women to leave their young children were stated by some witnesses
to create serious difficulties. As a result of their absence, infants are
taken into the mills and can be found lying on sacking, in bobbin boxes
and other unsuitable places, exposed to the noise and danger of moving
machinery and a dust-laden atmosphere, and no year passes without a
certain number of serious and minor accidents, and sometimes even of
deaths, occurring among such children. Tt is important that creches,
when first opened, should be well-furnished and properly supervised. If
suitable women are placed in charge, and short periods of absence from
work ab necessary intervals are granted to the nursing mothers, we
believe that gradually the initial prejudices and diffidence of the women
could be overcome. Nor must it be thought that the introduction of a
creche involves heavy expenditure. Experience in the textile industry
of the Bombay Presidency has shown that the essential requirements of a
good creche containing 20 cradles is a room of about 600 square feet with
washing and latrine accommodation, supervised by a trained woman
and an assistant ayah. This can be run on an initial outlay of Rs. 500
and a recurring monthly expenditure of Rs. 150, an estimate which
Includes the supply of milk, clean clothes, small medical necessities and
salaries. A somewhat less ambitious scheme of a similar size can be

carried out at a slightly lower initial cost and at a recurring expenditure
of only Rs. 100 a month. Representatives of the Indian Jute Mills Associa-
tion appearing before us showed sympathy with the idea and agreed to give
it serious consideration. In the cotton mills of Bombay Presidency creches