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MISCELLANEOUS OCCUPATIONS |
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TAILORING FIRMS.
There were 170 tailoring establishments in the city
at the time of survey. Of these, 30 were located in A ward, 27 in B
ward, 48 in C ward, 28 in D ward and 37 in E ward. A total of 280
persons including 172 members of owners' families were engaged in
them. Only six concerns of different sizes were surveyed in the
sample.
All the shops in the sample were started after 1936.
Tailoring was the principal occupation in them, providing employment
throughout the year. They were situated in rented premises. Three
were started by the owners with their own capital, while the other
three owners borrowed the necessary initial capital. It was found
that the latter persons repaid the loan before the survey was
undertaken.
The total capital investment in these shops varied
from Rs. 450 to Rs. 8,000. The smallest unit had an investment of
Rs. 450, three others had between Rs. 1,500 and Rs. 2,000 and the
remaining two had Rs. 7,000 and Rs. 8,000.
The equipment required in these shops was sewing
machines, scissors, showcases and a few pieces of furniture. Two
shops had five machines each, and the remaining four had six, four,
three and one each. The cost of equipment of each shop varied from
Rs. 400 to Rs. 2,600. The smallest unit had equipment Worth Rs. 400
and the largest Rs, 2,600.
Other expenses borne by the shops for maintenance of
establishments were rent, electric charges. Rent of the
establishments varied from Rs. 12 to Rs. 70 per month. The smallest
unit had to pay Rs. 12 and the biggest Rs. 70 per month Five shops
together consumed electricity worth Rs. 33 per month; the sixth one
was not using electric power. Total cost of maintaining each
establishment including wages, raw materials etc. varied between Rs.
100 and Rs. 900 according to the size of the unit.. Raw materials
required were thread, and canvas cloth. Two shops consumed 70 reels
of thread; the other two 60 and 20 reels respectively per month. One
shop spent Rs. 100 per year on advertisement.
The total number of employees employed in these six
shops was 36 including nine persons who were the members of owners'
families. One shop was exclusively managed by the owner. Wages to
the employees were paid at piece rate. A worker got wages equivalent
to 50 per cent. or 60 per cent. of the work done. The average
monthly wage bill of a worker was between Rs. 50 and Rs. 80.
Shirts, coats, trousers, pyjamas, etc. were the main
clothes stitched in the shops. Their charges varied from shop to
shop in the sample. A shirt was charged between As. 12 and Rs. 1/4,
a coat from Rs. 5 to Rs. 25 and a trouser from Rs. 3 to Rs. 15. The
net income of each shop varied from Rs. 75 to Rs. 250 per month.
Stitching charges were fixed according to the quality and nature of
the work done. All the orders for stitching clothes were received
from local people. One of the shops in the sample was specialized in
stitching woollen clothes. The brisk season of tailoring
establishments was winter and summer. It was found that in these
establishments the margin of profit was not very high.
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