LZ
at Ahmedabad. The returns for three mills were forwarded to Head-
quarters in December 1926, for four mills in January, two mills in March,
three in April and one each in May, June, August and October 1927.
The last batch of returns was received eighteen months after the date of
the Census. The returns for several mills had to be sent back to the
Investigator at Ahmedabad for further particulars or corrections from
time to time in light of the critical examination to which they
were further subjected at Headquarters. Owing to the great difficulties
experienced during tabulation on account of the variations due to the
prevalence of varying hapte systems, the Ahmedabad returns could not
be passed for final tabulation until the beginning of the year 1929.
20. With regard to the two mills from Sholapur the returns from one
mill were received in May and from the other in September 1927. The
difficulties in connexion with the Sholapur Census were mainly confined
to the value of the cash equivalent earned bv the workers from the Grain
Allowance.
21. With regard to the tabulation of the figures from the returns this
was first undertaken on the basis of the direct use of mechanical
tabulating machines (comptometers) without transferring the figures
for each tabulation to posting sheets. As the results in checking and
rechecking produced varying figures owing to difficulties experienced in
connexion with the proper classification of the various terms used by
different mills for designating particular occupations, this method had
to be abandoned ; and fresh tabulations were undertaken on the basis of
preliminary transference of the respective figures for each tabulation to
posting sheets. This method has ensured the highest degree of accuracy
possible in the final averages.
22. The tabulation of the returns for the 1921 and 1923 Enquiries,
the results of which were published about two years from the date of
each Enquiry, only involved calculations in respect of mass figures for
groups of workers. For the 1923 Enquiry, Government sanctioned the
engagement of a special temporary staft of six Junior clerks for purposes
of tabulation only for a period of onc month. The tabulations of the
returns for the 1926 Enquiry involved calculations with regard to many
sets of figures for each of 71,576 workers. Owing to financial stringency,
no special staff was asked for by the Labour Office for this Enquiry
and all the tabulating work was undertaken bv the permanent staff of
the office.