No_4_November_and_December__1952 — Page 64

cheapest type and can be erected very speedily.

+

The Trust has continued to build artisans' quarters outside the central areas on the same plans as in previous years. These quarters are the cheapest permanent or semi permanent structures that can be erected and have a lower mainten- ance cost than any temporary structure. The actual frame inclu- ding walls, doors, windows, roof and dapor, and including erection costs approximately $1,500 for a floor area of 500 square feet plus an enclosed unroofed yard of 162 square feet. These quarters are built in terraces of four, six or eight, laid out around turfed open spaces planted with trees, and have proved cool and healthy. A large number of the tenants of these houses have come from congested cubicles in the centres of the town or from squalid and often insanitary squatters huts and the improvement in health, particularly of the children, after quite a short period on one of the Trust's artisans' quarters estates, is most noticeable. In 1951 a larger type of artisans' quarter will probably

be built having two bedrooms. In each successive contract slight im- provements have been made in materials, fittings and finishings and materials, fittings and finishings and all quarters constructed in 1950 had modern sanitation, individual water supply and electricity.

Each estate of artisans' quarters is provided with its own self-contained shopping centre of prefabricated shopping centre of prefabricated shops of a similar standard and construction to the artisans' quarters. Shops have also been provided on the ground floor of a number of blocks of flats in positions suitable for commerce.

The Trust's 1951 programme amounts to approximately $16 million but it will not be possible, on account of difficulties in clearing land, to complete the progrmme It is however during the year.

anticipated that approximately 2,294 flats, 352 artisans' quarters and 144 shops will be completed during 1951, being an average of more than seven dwellings per day.

Some of the difficulties involved in carrying out a large scale housing programme in Singapore should be

thirty years of achievement

-

mentioned. The difficulty is not in deciding how it should be done or even in preparing plans, but in the practical aspects of land, finance, building materials and labour. Many of the desirable areas for housing are occupied by squatters, and the difficulties of clearing them are considerable involving the offer of alternative accommodation and complicated and expensive legal action. Every time when the land is cleared it may need filling, access roads and provision of sewers and other services before it is ready for building. With regard to building materials, shortages are already being felt in the basic materials timbers and steel, and to a certain extent in cement and bricks, and with the present world sltuation it is not likely that the position will There have materially improve. been labour shortages from time to time, particularly in the skilled trades, and any large increase in the housing programme would inevitably result in a scramble for labour with consequent higher rates of pay and increased building costs.

THIS IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE REGULARITY OF SHIPMENTS OF

SANITARY WARE & FITTINGS

IMPORTED DIRECT FROM FIRST CLASS BRITISH MANUFACTURERS THE SERVICES RENDERED TO ALL HAVE ENABLED US TO RETAIN THEIR

CONFIDENCE

&

GOODWILL

WE COMFLETE ALL JOBS SATISFACTORILY

WE ONLY SUPPLY MATERIALS OF APPROVED QUALITY

FONGHEN

64 Wallich St.

· CO.,

SINGAPORE

SOFTWOOD and HARDWOOD

SERAYA KAPOH

POONAH

MERBAU

KEMPAS BALAU

LTD.

LOGS and

JELUTONG CHENGHAI

Tel. 7557

PLANKS

KERUING

etc

416 Beach Road,

Singapore

Mills: Singapore, Semaman & Malacca.

Large stocks available for immediate delivery Samples and quotations gladly submitted on request

CHYE HIN LIMITED.

GENERAL TIMBER MERCHANTS & SAWMILLERS TELE: NOS:-7877 & 7878.

Agents in Hong Kong

The Singapore Sawmill Limited

344 Lockhart Road.

60