Report of the Royal Commission on Labour in India

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 1850495947

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-233603

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Report of the Royal Commission on Labour in India

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: His Majesty's Stationery Off.

Year of publication:: 1931

Scope:: xviii, 580 S.; graph. Darst., Kt.

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

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Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter III. - The employment of the factory worker

Collection:: Economics Books

30 . CHAPTER IL. European and the desire to Indianise industry have led to the substitution of Indians. This is proceeding successfully in important sections of indus- try, and especially in those concerned with engineering and metals. “Only a few years ago, literate apprentices were practically unknown, except where Anglo-Indians were available. Schemes of apprenticeship have now been developed in ordnance factories, in most railway workshops, in the iron and steel works at J amshedpur and in many other factories, and the results generally are distinctly good. The revolution in social ideas and intense economic pressure have combined to break down much of the prejudice against manual work among educated Indians, with the result that the ranks of industry are no longer regarded as suitable only for the illiterate. Simultaneously, the development of technical educa. tion has widened the opportunities that industry can offer to those who are willing to * take off their coats”. So far as the industries to which we have referred are concerned, the solution of the problem of obtaining men for the higher ranks of labour would appear to be within sight ; the advance of the younger generation should effect a great change. Apprenticeship in the Textile Industries. In other branches, and particularly in the textile industries, there has been less success in this direction. Here also there have been efforts bo replace European supervision by Indian, but in a number of cases the method of recruiting and training has been faulty. The Euro- pean brought out in the first instance to a subordinate supervisory post was a workman promoted from the ranks. A number of the Indians brought in to replace him have not had the same advantages. They have been appointed to act as supervisors without having pre- viously shared the experience of the workmen ; and there is no general endeavour to secure literates as workmen, with a view to their promo- tion or otherwise. We recommend that the textile industries should endeavour to secure apprentices with a preliminary education. We recognise that this may not be easy, but their recruitment would benefit industry and would mean the opening of fresh avenues of employment for a class whose needs are great. Adult Education. The necessity of securing a more educated labour force has burned the thoughts of some to the possibilities of adult education. Here again, a few employers who have been pioneers in welfare work have led the way, but the movement has not, been generally adopted. We consider that all possible means should be taken to remedy the exist- ing deficiencies in the matter of education, but the effort to give education to the adult illiterate factory worker is not likely to yield results of much value. The effort required from an adult in acquiring a primary education is generally greater than that required from a child. Further, the labour of the industrial worker consumes his energies so fully as to make it impossible for any but an exceptional man or woman to do anything requiring much mental effort after working hours. Some- thing could be done by combining education with recreation, e.g., by

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