75. Though a higher rent is charged for ground floor units, their ease of access makes them much more popular than those on the upper floors. Priority for ground floor units is given to trades that require a heavier floor loading. Processes involving a risk of fire, for example, plastic work, are located on the top floor.
76. Resettlement factories are not easy to administer. In the first place the accommodation is of a relatively high standard and cheap compared with the alternatives available in the open market. There is therefore a temptation for factory tenants to sublet their premises to outsiders under the guise of installing a manager. This is particularly attrac- tive to tenants who have had, usually unwillingly, to change their trade in order to qualify for resettlement. Where subletting occurs, the rent is always higher than that charged by Government. Permitted changes of tenant are also quite frequent because of the inducement contained in the transfer fee, supposed to cover the cost of decorating the units, which the transferee customarily pays the transferor. This is usually higher than the actual expenditure and appeals to half-hearted tenants, who for one reason or another have lost interest in their business. Difficulties also occur over the control of machinery which has to be carefully regulated to take floor loading and electrical safety into account. Changes of trades, or of tenancy, usually mean a change of machinery, in whole or in part, and since some tenants tend to install machinery without obtaining prior approval, control of machinery is a constant problem.
77. There have also been difficulties over the electrical installations which have become inadequate in some factories because of the tendency of tenants to install bigger and more powerful machinery once they become established in good premises with security of tenure and a moderate rent. It has therefore been necessary to install additional rising mains in several factories over the past few years, and towards the end of the year under review it was proposed that moulded circuit breakers be installed for each tenant, the cost to the tenant being related to the amount of electricity he requires. By this means it is hoped to reduce the in- creasing number of electrical failures due to overloading and to share the cost of any additional rising mains among those wanting a bigger supply. In the work of inspection and control, the management staff looking after factorics are greatly assisted by the department's Works Section and by the various divisions of the Public Works Department. Officers of the Labour and Fire Services Departments, with whom close liaison is maintained, also visit the factories regularly.
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