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HOUPE
(4000
+ Acres)
Category - Low grown
1961
When in England on furlough,
or immediately prior to my departure on furlough,
I was told that on my return I would be going
to Houpe to act for that PD who would be going
on furlough for four months. When in London I
received two letters from Houpe, one from the
senior SD and one from the PD who, incidentally,
had been my PD on Glenlyon where I crept. The
senior SD was a close friend, as were the other
two, and his letter was written to assure me that,
where he and his fellow SDs were concerned, "a
clear line would be drawn between work and play".
From the tone of his letter, and knowing the man,
I felt that he was telling me that he would ensure
this assurance. The PD's letter on the other hand
was different. He congratulated me on being appointed
to act on Houpe and went on to say, 'We are all
very happy to hear about this. The only person
who is not, is the midwife, in anticipation of
her expected workload after you leave!' A bit
'rude' I thought, but then, me being some seven
thousand miles away he was quite safe from physical
harm.
Houpe comprised four divisions: Dalukgalla,
Yainna and Lower Division - all tea, and a fourth
in old rubber. At one time there were four SDs
but now three, on the tea divisions. There was
a Conductor on the fourth. The SD of Yainna came
to England on furlough when I was in London, and
met me there - but this account is not about that!
By the time I arrived
back in Ceylon, changes in Government regulations
had precluded the furlough of the Houpe PD with
the result that I was temporarily superfluous
in the Company and on Houpe. The SD on furlough
was due back in about two months so I was put
in charge of Yainna and moved into his bungalow.
After his return from furlough, we shared the
bungalow and he ran the rubber division until
my departure.
Unfortunately for all on Houpe the plantation
was barely making a profit - a state of affairs
not attributable to the then managerial staff,
nor, perhaps, to their predecessors. I say 'unfortunately'
because all facilities were kept on a care and
maintenance basis, and this resulted in the residents
at all levels not being able to enjoy the excellent
residential embellishments enjoyed by those elsewhere
in the Company. In this I do not include the workers,
whose residential facilities anywhere were unsatisfactory
to say the least, even with the Company's capital
programme.
Prior to my arrival, there had developed on Yainna
a labour dispute which had generated continuing
discontent in the resident workforce, mainly Tamil,
and this discontent was unresolved when I arrived.
I cannot remember what it was, though it was not
something one could sit down and solve in a matter
of minutes; it must have been a standoff of some
sort. All I remember is a seething discontent
which was liable to erupt into violence. At morning
muster I used to park my motor bike facing down
hill and on the periphery of the muster ground
to facilitate a quick and safe escape should the
need arise. Also, having briefly discussed the
muster details with the staff I would stand, stick
in hand, and with the sun behind my back so that
I could see the shadow of anyone coming up behind
me, with apparent disdain and fearlessness. I
was not fearful, but prepared, and this was also
a bit of psychology at play. One day the resident
(Sinhalese) building contractor came to me and
said, ' We hear that you are having some trouble
with the workers. Just give us the word and we
will cut all the throats from the chickens upward.'
I thanked him and said that that sort of thing
was not necessary, and that things would work
out all right. The 'we' was the Sinhalese - he,
his men, and the villagers and, aside from the
chickens etc., the implied 'them' were the Tamil
workers.
A great deal can be written about the social antics
of the four SDs, and at times the PD as well,
but since such does not come within the purview
of this document this will not be done. However,
since the opinion of workers does come within
the purview, I quote the expressed view of a worker,
or that of the workers in general, 'Houpe SDs
have always been a crazy lot but this lot is the
worst.' - probably said with affection but definitely
without malice!
So endeth the last act!
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