No_4_November_and_December__1952 — Page 32

WORKERS' QUARTERS AT NORTH

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Architect's drawing of entire project and below photograph of the first building completed.

T is becoming increasingly

evident to employers of labour that, in order to obtain the best class of workmen and in order to keep them, it is now necessary to provide them with suitable quarters. Com- pared to many other parts of the world Hong Kong is extremely fortunate in that we are able to obtain a sufficient supply of labour but in order to get the best out of them they must be satisfied with the conditions under which they work and also of the conditions under which they live. With the Colony as overcrowded as it is to-day and with little prospect of any ameliora. tion of this condition in the near future it is impossible for a workman earning between $150.00 and $300.00 per month to obtain anything like suitable quarters for himself and his family. No employer of labour is obliged to provide quarters, but it is becoming increasingly apparent that in order to obtain a good class of workmen and keep them happy in their work it is necessary to provide them with at least a minimum standard of living quarters.

The Hong Kong Electric Com- pany employs a considerable number of mechanics, artisans and workmen,

Some of them are unskilled labour- ers, but even then, because of the nature of their work, their replace- ment is bound to cause considerable inconvenience. On the other hand most of the workmen are highly skilled technicians and mechanics and it is sometimes only after many years of employment that their real value to the company becomes ap-

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parent. It takes many years of training before a man can be made to fit into his particular niche and become a reliable unit in such a complex and highly organized technical enterprise. Although there is no dearth of skilled labour in Hong Kong a continuous turnover of a new workshop personnel is not desirable.