Report of the Royal Commission on Labour in India

Bibliographic data

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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Chapter

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

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

Collection:: Economics Books

284 CHAPTER XV, varies from 3 to 109, of pay, but on different railways it is estimated in different ways, sometimes on a floor space basis, at other times on the basis of the employee’s wage. No sub-letting is allowed but, where there is a shortage of quarters, the tenant sometimes shares his quarters with another railway employee. Scales of Accommodation. The scale of accommodation varies on different railways, but for the lowest grades of worker the standard is usually one room of 90 to 100 square feet, a verandah of 40 to 60 square feet and a courtyard about 100 bo 120 square feet. On certain railways the older types did not include courtyards, but we were informed that steps have been taken to add these in most cases. One of the best types we have seen is at Golden Rock, Trichinopoly, where the South Indian Railway has adopted a new design which provides for a room of 155 square feet, a kitchen, courtyard and washing place. For skilled artisans on the same railway, the usual type includes two rooms with a total area of 190 to 220 square feet and a verandah of 40 to 50 square feet. On the Bombay Baroda and Central India Railway the artisan house is of an improved type, containing one main room, a courtyard, a verandah and a kitchen. Superior quarters are provided with individual latrines, but for lower grade quarters blocks of latrines are provided at a suitable distance trom the houses. All railway managements are agreed as to the beneficial effects on the workers of improved housing conditions. Designs of staff quarters, though standardised as much as possible, are constantly being altered to meet the growing demands con- nected with rising standards of living, but many of the older types of existing buildings require to be replaced by houses more in keep- ing with modern standards. In spite of the large expenditure and the continual endeavours to construct additional accommodation in accord- ance with a pre-arranged programme, there is still a dearth of quarters on most railways. Whilst recognising that financial considerations enter largely into the problem, we hope that the Railway Board and the ad- ministrations will be able to arrange for increased provision of houses as rapidly as possible. We were much impressed by the improved lay-out and the generous accommodation provided in some of the more recently erected railway colonies and particularly at Golden Rock, and we are satisfied that continued expenditure in the same direction will prove a sound investment from every point of view. At the same time, we consider that in the past too little regard has been paid to Indian pre- ferences in the construction of railway housing. The standard blocks of brick quarters to be seen near most stations, even in rural areas, have a depressingly foreign appearance and can hardly be regarded as homes. We suggest that in future schemes the importance of building as far as possible in consonance with good local traditions should not be over- lnoked a Isolation in Industry. There is one feature of these somewhat isolated colonies which deserves attention. It is in many respects desirable to build such

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