STANDARD OF LIFE

URBAN AREAS.

ABOUT 2,77,000 PERSONS IN THE DISTRICT LIVE IN URBAN AREA which consists of 19 towns. But of these, 15 towns have a population of between 5,000 and 10,000, one between 10,000 and 20,000, one between 20,000 and 50,000, one above one lakh and one below 5,000. Ten towns have municipalities. Though places with a population of 5,000 and above are classified as towns, it may be pointed out that population alone cannot be the sole criterion for distinguishing the urban area from the rural area. This is illustrated by the fact that some places which are classified as towns in the census have characteristics not very different from those of villages. The village is associated with a predominantly agricultural population and the town with a non-agricultural population. In determining, therefore, what constitutes the urban area in the real sense, these factors cannot be forgotten. Thus, not all the towns listed in the Census can be regarded as towns or cities. Only a few cities and towns like Kolhapur, Ichal-karanji, Vadgaon and Malkapur can be considered to be urban. One of them, namely, Kolhapur was selected for the sample survey. The following table presents the population of towns by livelihood classes:-

TABLE No. 1.

POPULATION OF TOWNS BY LIVELIHOOD CLASSES.

continued

Apart from the composition of livelihood classes, there are other characteristics of an. urban area. The price increases which have occurred since 1943, in various articles of daily consumption including housing accommodation have affected the urban and rural areas in different degrees. Even after making an allowance for a certain number of articles which are sold dearer m villages than in towns, it remains broadly true, that the cost of living in a town is somewhat higher than that in a village, with but one important reservation. The development of quick transport in the countryside has in many places tended to remove the difference in prices of a number of articles in the villages or in the towns. Mention may be made of articles like milk, milk products, vegetables produced in villages but sold with a very small price difference in the towns nearby. But as one goes into the interior, the price difference of such articles becomes apparent. In most important towns, the increase in the number of houses has not been commensurate with the growth of population during the last decade. Rents have, as a result, increased considerably with the result that there is overcrowding everywhere. The housing situation in the villages is not so acute as in the towns and the difference in the cost of housing affects materially the standard of living of the people in urban and rural areas.

THE WELL-TO-DO.

Among the well-to-do classes can be included big landlords, prosperous businessmen and highly placed Government officials. The average well-to-do family can be said to have an income from Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 5,000 a year. Except where the size of the family is very large, families earning about Rs. 4,000 a year lead a comfortable life and are able to save enough for the exigencies of life. With increase in income, the expenditure on articles of daily consumption remains more or less constant as long as prices are stable, but expenditure on articles of luxury and real property like houses tends to increase. The well-to-do classes can be easily distinguished firstly by the type of houses they live in, secondly by the extent of the household equipment and thirdly, by the higher expenditure on certain or dally consumption. The household-equipment generally includes costly furniture. radios or gramophones and costly clothes and ornaments They spend generally more on milk, fruits, vegetables, education and entertainment. Employment of a full time servant for domestic work is another feature of this class.

It is revealed by the survey that these families spent from Rs. 5 to Rs. 15 per month on entertainment. Expenditure on travelling and ceremonies varied from family to family from Rs. 200 to Rs. 500 per year.

The following account shows the expenditure pattern of the families of the pleader, and of a high salaried government official.

The family of a pleader consisted of three adults and two children above six years. All the adult members of the family were literate. Both the children attended school. The family had no agricultural land nor a house. Its income was Rs. 600 per month. Out of which, it spent. annually Rs. 400 on clothing, Rs. 100 on medical care, Rs. 300 one travelling and Rs. 300 on charity. Items like food and fuel dost RS. 100 per month. It spent Rs. 20 on education and Rs. 50 on house rent, and servant. It saved more than Rs. 2,000 per year. The family could save this amount, as its size was small. The second budget was that of a high salaried government official whose income was Rs. 700 per month. The size of, the family consisted of seven adults and two minors below six years. All the persons in the family were educated except the minors. The family had no agricultural land but a house. Annually it spent about Rs. 850 on clothing, medical care, travelling, house repairing and charity and Rs. 450 on food fuel, education, servant and entertainment per month. After meeting all the expenditure it saved round about Rs. 1,500 per year.

In the sample survey the pattern of expenditure of rich families whose income was about Rs. 1,200 per month was more or less the same as that of the well-to-do. Few variations in respect of periodical expenditure were observed here and there. The annual savings of these families varied from Rs. 3,000 to 5,000 per year.

SMALL TRADERS.

It is not possible to define a small trader, because such a definition will vary from area to area in the context of the general economic condition. From what we observed about the economy of Kolhapur district, it appeared, that 'traders having a monthly income of between Rs. 150 and Rs. 300 can be said to belong to the group of small traders. The samples chosen for survey belonged more or less to this group. They included dealers in grocery, cloth, stationery, oil, fuel, bidis pohe, sweetmeats and flowers. Most of them had some property in the shape of agricultural land or houses or valuable ornaments.

The average number of members in a family of small traders as revealed by the survey was six including one minor. Children of school-going age in these families went to school and women did household work. In a few families, they helped male earners in their occupations.

There was a family of a trader dealing in ready-made clothes. It consisted of three adults and one child below six years. One of the members was literate. The family had a house and earned an income of Rs. 150 per month. It spent Rs. 1,000 on clothing per year. The expenditure per month was Rs. 25 on food grains, Rs. 5 on milk and milk products, Rs. 5 on sugar and gur, Rs. 5 on vegetables and Rs. 9 on fuel. The family had a few copper and brass utensils together with some earthen pots. It had no valuable ornaments.

The second family surveyed was of a Kirana merchant. It consisted of three adults and two children above six years. The family had ten acres of agricultural land. Its monthly income was Rs. 350. It spent Rs. 300 on clothing, Rs. 25 on medical care and Rs. 30 on travelling in a year. The expenditure on food grains was Rs. 40, on milk and milk products Rs. 25, on edible oil, Rs. 5, on sugar and gur Rs. 7, on vegetables, Rs. 3, on tea and coffee, Rs. 5 and on fuel Rs. 12 per month. The family was housed in rented premises, the rent of which was Rs. 35 per month. It spent Rs. 20 on education of children and was well-equipped with utensils, brass as well as copper, and had some valuable ornaments and a radio set.

The third family surveyed was of a merchant dealing in pohe and churmure. It consisted of three adults and one minor. One of the members of the family was literate. The family had landed property of three acres of agricultural land and a house. Its monthly income was Rs. 80. The expenditure pattern of the family was as follows:-Rs. 85 on clothing and Rs. 10 on medical care per annum and Rs. 30 on food-grains, Rs. 7 on milk and milk products, Rs. 5 on edible oils, about Rs. 10 on tea, coffee, and sugar, Rs. 8 on fuel and Rs. 8 on house rent per month. The family was not well furnished with utensils. It had no furniture in its possession but had all the necessary equipment for making pohe and churmure.

CLERICAL AND PROFESSIONAL CLASS.

The clerical and professional class includes the lower and middle strata of salaried persons employed in Government or private offices and some professionals like doctors and lawyers. The income of this class varies from Rs. 100 to Rs. 300 per family, per month. Possession of some property like houses is more frequent in this class than in the classes of skilled labourers or small traders. Income from agricultural land that this class derived has been practically vanished now. The size of the family is generally larger in this category. It gets a regular monthly income fairly enough to satisfy its primary physical needs.

The household equipment of this class is adequate to give them fair comfort. These families usually possess a few brass and copper utensils and a few mattresses. Cotton and woollen blankets and shawls form their bedding. Some families were found to possess a few pieces of furniture, a time piece, a radio or a bicycle. A few of them had valuable ornaments in their possession.

The following paragraphs contain a description of expenditure of five families, belonging to this class having monthly incomes varying from Rs. 100 to Rs. 300.

The family having an income of Rs. 100 per month consisted of ten adults of whom two were earning members. It had no landed property besides a house. It was a joint family whose annual expenditure on clothing was Rs. 200, on medical care Rs. 20, on charity, travel etc. Rs. 60 and on house repairs Rs. 50. Expenditure on food and fuel claimed nearly half of its income. Education of one member claimed Rs. 50 per month. Expenditure on entertainment and toilet did not find a place in its budget.

The second family showing a monthly salary of Rs. 135 had an income of Rs. 400 per year from agricultural land. The family consisted of two literate adults and one minor child. The annual expenditure on items like clothing, charity, medical care, travelling, etc. was recorded as Rs. 250 and the monthly expenditure was recorded as Rs. 122. Of this amount Rs. 20 were spent each on foodgrains, milk and milk products, Rs. 5 on edible oils, Rs. 12 on sugar, tea and coffee, Rs. 10 on fuel, Rs. 20 on house rent and Rs. 25 on miscellaneous items. The family had a surplus of Rs. 20 per month.

The third family had an income of Rs. 200 per month and an annual income of Rs. 300 from agricultural land. It consisted of four adults and one child of six years. All the persons in the family except one adult were literate. Its annual expenditure on items like clothing, medical care, charity, travelling, house repairs etc. was Rs. 375. The other monthly expenditure was recorded as Rs. 150. Of this amount, Rs. 30 were spent on grains, Rs. 20 on milk and milk products, Rs. 6 on edible oils, Rs. 20 on sugar, tea, coffee and vegetables, Rs. 15 on fuel and Rs. 50 on all other remaining items. It had a saving of Rs. 200 per year.

The fourth family was of a secondary teacher whose income was Rs. 165 per month and annual farm income Rs. 150. This family consisted of six adults and two minors. Five adult members of the family were literate. Two of them were taking college education and three secondary education. There was only one earning member. The pattern of periodical expenditure of the family was more or less the same as that of other families described above. It spent Rs. 30 on grains, Rs. 15 on milk and milk products, Rs. 10 on edible oils, Rs. 12 on sugar and gul, Rs. 9 on tea, coffee and dry fruits, Rs. 14 on fuel, Rs. 35 on house rent and Rs. 5 on entertainment. The family had annual savings of Rs. 200.

The fifth family surveyed was of a college teacher, whose income was Rs. 300 per month. The family consisted of two adults and three children, one above and another below six years. It had a fair number of copper and brass utensils. The family house was well furnished, being equipped with six chairs, two tables and five cots etc. Six mattresses, eight chaddars and some blankets formed the bedding of the family. It had a radio set but no valuable ornaments. Annually it saved Rs. 300 after spending Rs. 120 on all food items, Rs. 15 on fuel and Rs. 45 on other items like entertainment, education, cosmetics per month.

SKILLED LABOUR.

Skilled and highly skilled workers are included in this section. Skilled workers are represented by artisans like hand- loom weavers, brass and copper-smiths, carpenters, sawyers, masons, workers in leather industry, barbers, cooks and tonga-drivers. Highly skilled workers are those who represent technical men like workers in textile mills and engineering factories. Fifteen families were surveyed in the sample. The incomes of these families widely varied from Rs. 75 to 210 per month. Though the flow of their income was irregular, they were better off than unskilled workers. They were engaged in their occupations throughout the year except in the monsoon. In the brisk seasons they earned double of what they earned ordinarily. The sample revealed that no artisan family was found in debt.

The members of these families except those of highly skilled workers worked in their houses for about eight months in a year. In the rainy season they sought employment outside their houses. The size of the family of this class presented a pattern quite different from that of the class of unskilled labour. In addition to husband, wife and some children, these families had three adult males like mother and father and such nearest relatives. Most of the families had a house to live in. Many persons in these families were literate. Graduates and persons who had studied till secondary school certificate examination were also found in these families.

In the sample there was a leather workers' family with an income of Rs. 75 per month. It consisted of five adults and two children. The family had a house. Its monthly expenditure on food grains was about Rs. 30. It spent Rs. 8 on milk and ghee, Rs. 4 on edible oil, Rs. 4 on sugar and gur, Rs. 1-8-0 on tea and tobacco, Rs. 2 on vegetables and Rs. 10 on fuel. There was expenditure on entertainment and cosmetics and the same on clothing was Rs. 130 per year. The family had a few copper and brass utensils and a few earthen pots. It had no furniture. Bedding consisted of one mattress and five pillows and a few cotton blankets. It had no valuable ornaments.

The second family surveyed in the sample was of a potter. It consisted of four adults and two children of about six years. The family had a house but no agricultural land. Its income was Rs. 115 per month. It spent Rs. 125 on clothing, Rs. 25 on medical care, Rs. 20 on house repairing per annum. The monthly expenditure was Rs. 50 on food, Rs. 7 on milk and ghee, Rs. 3 on edible oil, Rs. 2 on sugar and gur, Rs. 4 on vegetables, Re. 1 on tea and tobacco, Rs. 9 on fuel and Rs. 4 on cosmetics and entertainment. The family had few utensils of brass and copper. It had three matresses, six chaddars and blankets. It had valuable ornaments worth Rs. 300.

The third family was of a weaver, which consisted of seven adults and one child. It had three houses and no agricultural land. Its income was Rs. 210 per month. Three persons in the family were literate. It spent annually Rs. 200 on clothing, Rs. 50 on medical care, and Rs. 30 on house repairing. The monthly expenditure was Rs. 40 on food grains, Rs. 7 on milk and milk products, Rs. 6 on sugar and gur, Rs. 6 on edible oils, Rs. 5 on vegetables and Re. 1 on tea and coffee, Rs. 15 on fuel, Rs. 8 on education and Re. 1 on entertainment. The family had many utensils of brass and copper and four pieces of furniture like a chair, a table and a cupboard. It had valuable ornaments worth Rs. 3,000.

UNSKILLED LABOUR.

In urban areas this class represents the lowest rung of occupational hierarchy. It includes those persons who do not possess skill but only physical energy to work. They depend upon their manual labour or daily majuri for their maintenance. Urban centres offer them opportunities for employment which change from year to year and from season to season.

Ten families were surveyed in the sample. Most of the members of these families seek employment outside their homes. Their incomes vary according to the size of the family. It appeared to be between Rs. 30 and Rs. 70 per month, the average being about Rs. 40 per family.

These families except two had no property like agricultural land. Two had an acre of land each. Five had their own houses, which were mostly huts built with earth and cow-dung and were vulnerable to heavy rains. The living conditions of these families were unhygienic. The average size of the family consisted of two adults and three children. Nearly 70 per cent. of the persons were illiterate. Those who were literate had taken primary education.

It is very difficult to construct the budget of such families, as their income fluctuated from season to season. In some occupations, male earners were served with food in addition to their daily wage. Female members in addition to their household work were engaged in some gainful employment. So the expenditure on food which claimed the largest slice of their income, did not reveal the correct picture. Similarly, the item of clothing did not give a correct idea, as members of these families often went half naked or were given clothing by the persons with whom they served.

The household equipment consisted of the barest minimum. The utensils they possessed were almost all earthen. Bedding in the big family consisted of some gunny bags, rough cotton blankets and a few godhadis. These families had no ornaments. House rent formed one of the most important items of their expenditure. Expenditure on medical care, education and recreation scarcely found place in their budgets. Expenditure on items like milk and ghee was also negligible. Thus these families were deprived of even the bare necessities of life.

Concluding Remarks.

The urban areas thus present a picture of all socially significant sections of the population from the unskilled labourers who form the lowest rung of society to the well-to-do and the rich. One cannot come to any correct conclusion on the basis of the data collected for the purpose, as it is very scanty; but a general trend in the pattern of expenditure can be indicated. Wherever there has been the question of spending a little more to gain some comforts suited for a particular standard or of foregoing some comforts to save a little more, the trend to-day, is to prefer the former to the latter. With the provision of increasing facilities in a Welfare State for such essentials of life as education, sanitation, medical help and housing, even people of low-income groups are expected to have a slightly better standard of living.

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