developed and it is safe to say that over 95% of the remaining squatters will have to be resettled in multi-storey estates. An exercise in simple arithmetic will show that unless the rate of construction of multi-storey buildings can be accelerated it will be at least eight years before the remaining 300,000 squatters can be resettled even if the rate of natural increase in the squatter population does not exceed 2% a year.
141. The chief remaining problem therefore is to find means of accelerating the rate of construction of multi-storey buildings. The difficulty lies in the fact that suitable large sites are avail- able only in districts which at present have no water supply or main drainage systems. The time needed to provide these services will depend to a large extent on the availability of the necessary engineering staff and urgent consideration is now being given to this problem with a view to determining whether any special measures can be taken to expedite the provision of sewage and water supply systems to new areas which cannot at present be used for any form of permanent high-density housing.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
142. The progress which has been achieved so far in the resettlement of squatters would not have been possible without the co-operation and assistance of the staff of other Government departments in particular the Public Works Department, the Police Force and the Social Welfare Office, which I now grate- fully acknowledge.
143. Finally I wish to pay a warm tribute to the staff of the department whose willingness to work long and irregular hours for the greater part of the year has been a source of great encouragement to me and is a good augury for the future.
6th November, 1956.
A. ST. G. WALTON, Commissioner for Resettlement.
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