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CHAPTER = XXIII. 
scarcity of land for building purposes and the high cost of the limited 
amount at present available in the centre of the city are difficulties 
which could be considerably modified and reduced if these under-deve- 
loped areas were properly utilised. On the other hand, the develop- 
ment of new suburbs and the provision of cheap transport facilities 
must depend on the possibility of extending water and sewerage to 
outlying areas. 
Previous Investigations. 
When we come to consider recommendations, we find that the 
ground has already been covered by various committees and other bodies 
which, at different times within recent years, have investigated the pro- 
blems associated with immigration in far greater detail than has been 
possible for us. Moreover, these bodies were composed of persons having 
intimate local knowledge. The 1926 Report on the Public Health of 
Rangoon contains numbers of recommendations which still largely await 
translation into action. The Report of the Committee appointed to 
enquire into the effects of the removal of rent control in Rangoon con- 
tains additional information and statistics which are of value in finding 
a solution of the housing problem, and the minor recommendations made 
in paragraph 15 of that report give more than an indication of the lines 
on which progress might be made. Another Committee has reported on 
the re-organisation of the Burma Public Health Department, and certain 
recommendations made by it have an important bearing on the health 
administration of the city and port. The Government has made a 
number of investigations into the possibility of obtaining additional water 
supplies for the city. The questions we have been considering have 
thus been largely explored. and the need is now for action. 
Responsibility for Conditions in Rangoon. 
One of the obstacles in the way of action appears to be uncer- 
tainty as to where the responsibility lies. The Municipal Commissioner 
of the Rangoon Corporation took the view that, when employers did not 
supply housing to their work-people, it should be the duty of the provin- 
cial Government to do so. The Secretaries to the Government of Burma 
who gave evidence rejected this view, but they were not in entire agree- 
ment as to the extent of the Government's responsibility for housing. 
At the same time, Government has drafted the bill, to which reference has 
been made, to enable the Development Trust to undertake the construc- 
tion of housing accommodation for immigrants. The proposals under- 
lying this bill were referred to various bodies for their views at the end of 
1929. The Corporation has made no representation to Government with 
respect to housing, nor has it attempted to deal with the general scarcity 
of housing. So far as we are aware, it has not considered the idea of 
raising loans with the sanction of Government for the purpose. It holds 
the view that the question should be taken up by Government and, if 
necessary, it would be prepared to contribute a sum towards the expendi- 
bure on any scheme that might be devised.