RAILWAYS. 
145 
certain qualifications and limitations, but these should be more clearly 
defined. Irregular attendance, for instance, should be defined and, 
where the exigencies of the service at any time prevent an employee from 
zoing on leave, it should be made available to him at a later time. Workers 
complain of the delay in dealing with applications and of the difficulty 
in obtaining leave. The administrations in reply state that this is due 
not so much to inadequacy of relieving staff as to the general desire of the 
workpeople to take leave about the same time, e.g., during the marriage 
season. Workers must recognise that leave cannot always be granted when 
desired, but the administrations should endeavour to maintain reserves 
adequate to meet requirements spread over the year. Whether leave 
should be taken within a year or allowed to accumulate, or whether both 
systems should operate according to the preferences of different classes 
of employees, are matters capable of mutual settlement between the 
administrations and the workers op their representatives. Where it is 
possible to arrange for leave to be cumulative, we incline to the opinion 
that such leave should not accumulate for more than three years, t.e., 
if a worker is entitled to 10 days leave per annum, the maximum leave 
obtainable at one time should not exceed thirty days. Special cases 
may require special consideration, e.g., men serving in outlying areas, 
such as Assam and Burma, and servants with long and approved service 
under special circumstances might, in the discretion of the administra- 
tion, be given special leave without pay. Ordinarily, however, it should 
be possible to arrange for employees, after one year’s continuous service, 
to be given the opportunity of annual leave. if desired. 
Labour Costs. 
We now proceed to a review of the position ag regards wages. 
We have received statements concerning the twelve principal lines opera- 
ting in British India which, according to the figures supplied in the Rail- 
way Board’s memorandum, employed on 31st March 1929 a staff of 
758,756, including 2,073 gazetted officers, but excluding contractors’ 
labour engaged in various branches. Statements contained in the annual 
reports of the Railway Board show the number and cost of a] staff 
employed on the twelve Class I railways on 31st March 1929, to be 77 6,042, 
costing Rs. 38,46,12,603. This comprises superior and subordinate staff, 
including permanent and temporary labourers on open line and cons- 
bruction work, but excludes contractors’ labour. The figure of cost 
includes the salaries and wages of staff, bonug contributions to the pro- 
vident funds, gratuities, overtime and all other allowances, excepting 
travelling or similar allowances not in the nature of extry, Pay. We have 
been supplied with a further statement Which, in addition, excludes 
gazetted officers and railway staff employed on construction and in mines 
and provides an analysis of numbers and monthly cost of all subordinate 
stafl, including permanent and temporary labourers employed in cop- 
nection with open line working on 1st October 1929. We have extracted 
from this the following particulars of the total cost for the month 
of September 1929, including the pay of this staff, overtime ang