LIFE IN BORNEO

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 221, 15 April 1933, Page 3

LIFE IN BORNEO

Fall In Survey Work L ~ PLANNING OF CITIES New Zealander's Experience Aftter 31 years of surveying work in Borneo and a further 12 months of town-pTaitning experience in Great Britain, Mr. C. 0. Barnett returned to New Zealand by the Rarigitata; At. ome time many young New Zealand surveyors secured engagements With irhc survey department ill the Federated Malay Stateii, but Mr. Burnett explained that as a result of the depression the opportunities for employment in that service to-day were few and far between. Mr. Barnett said that immediately prior to the depression there were eight New Zealand surveyors in Borneo, but the number was now dew it to three. His own engagement had been for four years, but it had been reduced to 3i years, and if things went on the way they were at present it seemed that some of the terms of the remaining employees would be cut. down to three years. Rubber was the main industry of Borneo, and as a result of the fall in revenue following the drop in the price of that commodity it had been necessary to curtail the survey service. Headquarters at Jesselton

Most of the survey bosses were confined to Asiatics. The staffs consisted chiefly of Indians and Filipinos, who were the technical people. The labouring work was done by Chinese and Malayans. The European side was confined to supervision, control and specialised work. The headquarters were Jesselton. The survey department in the Federated Malay States, was practically controlled by Australians and New Zealanders. At one time there used to be a staff of 80, of whom 50 were New Zealanders. The staff had been reduced very considerably, and he considered the opportunities for new men Were very, very few. Should the opportunity for further engagements arise, those who had been dismissed would naturally have- first claim for re-employment. "The life in the Federated Malay States," said Mr. Barnett, "is quite a goad one for a single man. He can have' a good time and save money, but, for a married man it is a dog's life. It might be all right for a married man with a station, but one has to be out.there some years to be given the charge of One. It is quite possible for a single man to be stationed out there for four years, have a good time, and come out at the end of his time with £IOOO in iiis pocket; not that I was able to do that." Town-planning Activities Discussing town-planning activities at Home, where he proceeded when his term in Borneo expired, Mr. Barnett said the general public in England were definitely appreciative of town-planning. In the newer suburbs in the Old Country the effect of townplanning could be seen. This was particularly apparent at Birmingham, 'where he spent most of his time. There the main feature of the newer 'parts of the city was the arterial roads and housing scheme. The Birmingham housing scheme, which had been undertaken since the war, provided for a population of 150,000 inhabitants. The English authorities were just

beginning to "nibble" at the question '■'•' of slum areas. The new Town-plan-ing Act came ito force only at the beginning of the present month. This measure was.the main lever for slum clearance. The previous Act applied only to new urban areas, but the new legislation was much more comprehensive, and in fact covered all phases of town planning. Mr. Barnctt mentioned that Kuala

Lumpur, the capital of the Federat- , ed Malay States, was laid out on [ town-planning lines, and was one of the finest illustrations of a modern Easter city. Singapore was also a well laid out city, controlled by an Improvement Trust, which, incidentally, made town-planning pay.