MINES, 
123 
regards the deficiency of tubs, he believes the cases where piece-workers 
in mines are prevented from earning normal daily wages on this account 
are comparatively few. They are confined to a short period about the 
month of February when, in the absence of other employment in agri- 
culture, surplus workers flock into the coalfields. In his opinion the 
solution of this problem is for managers to refuse to permit workers to 
enter the mines in larger numbers than are required for efficient working. 
He does not consider that the difficulties referred to or the conditions 
generally obtaining in the coalfields justify the provisions which we re- 
commend for the introduction of a system of guaranteed minimum output 
for every piece-worker who goes underground. 
Variations in Tubs. 
Another source of irregularity in the payment to miners is the 
extent of the variations in the size of the tubs and in the amount of coal 
loaded into them. An inquiry conducted by the Chief Inspector of Mines 
on our behalf shows that, while tubs of 30 ec. ft. capacity are used at 
256 out of 296 collieries examined, other sizes are used, exclusively or in 
combination, by 210 of these collieries. No less than 107 collieries use 
two or more sizes of tub, two collieries at Jharia having no less than 6 
different sizes each. Not only does the size vary but the standard load 
of the common 30 c. ft. tub is far from uniform. Thirteen cwt. is 
the load at more than 2/5 of the collieries using this size, 14 cwt. at 
slightly less than 2/5, while the remaining fifth carry 10, 11, 12, 15 or 
even 16 cwt. in each. Miners’ wages are sometimes cut for under-loading 
and in some mines there is a form of payment for ‘surplus’ coal, where- 
by a bonus is given to the supervisory staff if the aggregate output ex- 
ceeds the standard tub load multiplied by the number of tubs filled. One 
of our witnesses, an underground munshi, estimated his income from this 
source at between 8 and 12 rupees per month at a colliery where 14 cwt. 
was the standard load. The effect of this practice is to deprive the miner 
of some of his legitimate earnings. He may be penalised for under-loading 
and is sometimes induced to overload without any benefit to himself. 
On the other hand, in some mines the miners benefit from the surplus 
allowance, and there is evidence that in other cases there is no deduction 
for shortage. We recommend that the Mining Boards should examine the 
question of securing greater uniformity in the size of tubs and of in- 
suring that remuneration bears a closer relation to output. The intro- 
duction of a system of check-weighing may be practicable in the larger 
mines and the possibility of instituting such a svstem should be explor- 
ed 
Legislation and Administration. 
We now come to the operation of the Indian Mines Act, which 
is applicable both to coal mines and to other mines in British India. 
The first Act, which was passed in 1901, contained provisions relating to 
safety and health, but it was not until the present Act was passed in 1923 
that any restrictions were imposed on the employment of labour. The 
1923 Act, which is still in force, contains inter alia provision for the