91. Though a higher rent is charged for ground floor factory units, their ease of access makes them more popular than those on upper floors. Trades that require the heaviest floor loading have priority for ground floor units. Floor loadings range from 300 lbs. a square foot on the ground floor and first two floors, to 120 lbs. on the fifth and sixth floors. Rents also vary by floors from 55 cents per square foot on the ground to 25 cents on the sixth floor.
92. After taking up accommodation in the factory, individual tenants have to provide their own partitions and front walls facing on to the verandah in conformity with standard designs prepared by the department. The internal layout adopted by the tenant requires the approval of the Labour and Fire Services Departments, and each concern has to make its own arrangements for the installation of water and electricity.
93. During the year, a marked improvement has been achieved in clearing rent arrears. The total rent arrears for each month has now been brought down to the region of 10%, and no factory tenants now owes more than the current month's rent. Also, all factory tenants are now aware of the statutory requirement to pay the fees for the installation of moulded circuit breakers at the rate of $30 per ampere. These charges were levied to help to recover the cost of installing heavier electrical rising mains necessitated by the increased usage of electricity. During the year, no difficulty was encountered in recovering all such installation charges from our factory tenants except one case involving $1,500 which was paid only after action taken by the Legal Department. By 31st March, 1972, five outstanding cases involving a total of $4,050 remained to be paid by instalments.
CHAPTER 8
WORKS DIVISION
ORGANIZATION
94. The Works Division's main task is the maintenance (both build- ing and electrical) of resettlement estates, factories, and cottage and licensed areas. The Division is organized into seven sections which deal respectively with planning; electrical matters; estates; development and maintenance works in cottage and licensed areas, and minor public works in squatter arcas; billing and computing; and general clerical
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