16) 
CHAPTER V 
Rates of Wages 
70. Although full information was procured in- the 1926 Enquiry 
in connection with rates of wages paid to individual operatives in cotton 
mills in Bombay, Ahmedabad and Sholapur, it has been found impossible 
lo present ary comparable figures owing to the very wide variations which 
oxist both in methods of payment and the manner in which rates are fixed 
not only as between centre and centre bat also as between unit and unit 
in a particular centre. Variations were also found to exist for the same 
sccupation in a unit. The variations were most intensified in the case 
of Ahmedabad on account of the different methods adopted for the 
treatment of the Dearness Allowance and the wage cut of 15-625 per 
cent, effected in 1923. One: example will illustrate the difficulties 
ancountered. 
71. Inthe case of Grinders one mill paid a daily rate of thirteen annas 
and nine pies plus Re. 2 per month for Dearness Allowance, less 156§ per 
sent. for the wage cut plus Rs. 2 per month for good attendance bonus. 
[n another case there was a daily rate of fifteen annas and nine pies with 
no addition for dearness allowance, less 15% per cent., and no bonus. In 
the same mill there was also a consolidated rate of Rs. 45 per month as far 
as the basic rate and the dearness allowaace were concerned but 15§ per 
cent. was deducted for the wage cut. Some mills gave absolute consoli- 
dated rates without any additions or deductions, the variation being as 
follows : Rs. 27, Rs. 29-4, Rs. 30, Rs. 32-2, Rs. 33, Rs. 33-12, Rs. 34, 
Rs. 40, Rs. 43 and Re. 45. Another mill gave Rs. 1-2-6 per day without 
dearness allowance and good attendance bonus but deducted the per- 
centage for the cut. Still another variation to be found was a daily 
rate of As. 13 or As. 14 without the dearness allowance and the cut but 
with Rs. 2 per month for the bonus. 
72. The same sort of variation is to be found in the case of almost 
all occupations both for time rates and for piece rates. In the case of 
piece rates the variation is still more striking on account of the different 
rates for diflerent qualities of production. The bases on which wage 
rates ate determined are time, piece. and in a few instances, paruly 
time partly piece. 
73. With regard to time rates of wages, there are several variations 
in the periods for which the rates are fixed. The predominant basis 
in’ Ahmedabad is a daily rate. In Bombay and Sholapur there is an 
almost equal distribution between daily rates and “monthly ” rates. 
The word * monthly’ in this case indicates either the total number 
of working days in the wage period, 26 days, 27 days, 30 days, 31 days 
or an actual calendar month irrespective of the number of days it 
contains. ‘ Monthly * rates with the variations indicated also exist to a 
sonsiderable extent in Ahmedabad. The Dearness Allowance in Alimed-