WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION, 305 
wage is seldom as low as Rs. 8 monthly ; and, in our view, an allowance 
of half-wages is too small when the wage is low. We recommend that, 
for adults in receipt of not more than Rs. 30, payments for temporary 
disablement be based on two-thirds of wages, and for minors on the 
full-wage rate. The scale should be subject to a minimum of Rs. 5 
for each half-monthly payment, in place of the present minimum of 
Rs. 2, but the rate of compensation should not, of course, exceed the 
rate of wages. This will resultin all adults in receipt of not more than 
Rs. 15 monthly getting full wages during temporary disablement 
(except during the waiting period). No person receiving more than 
Rs. 30 a month should receive less compensation than he would have 
got if his wage had been Rs. 30. Further, we recommend the fixing of 
the minimum compensation for death in the case of adults at Rs. 600 
and for complete permanent disablement at Rs. 840. The minima for 
partial permanent disablement should be correspondingly raised. This 
is equivalent to making the minimum wage for compensation, except 
in the case of temporary disablement, equal to Rs. 20. At the other 
end of the scale, we consider that the maxima are unduly low. The 
workman on Rs. 250, if temporarily disabled, gets no more than the 
workman on Rs. 60 ; if he is permanently disabled, he gets the same as 
the workman on Rs. 80. 
Proposed Scale. } 
We recommend enhanced compensation on a scale which can 
be most clearly indicated by giving the alterations necessary in Schedule 
IV. In place of the fourteen existing wage classes, we would make 
seventeen, the upper wage limits for which should be (in rupees) 10, 15, 
18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, 80, 100, 200 and 300. Except in the 
last two classes, the assumed wage should be the highest wage of the class 
and not, as at present, the mean wage. Thus the eighth class would 
consist of persons receiving more than Rs. 30 but not more than Rs. 35 
and the assumed wage for that class would be Rs. 35. The division into 
bwo classes of those getting not more than Rs. 15 will affect minors 
only, and the compensation for death or permanent disablement to 
adults will be identical for the first three classes and will be based on a 
wage of Rs. 20. We recommend for the last two classes assumed wages of 
Rs. 125 and 150 respectively, and that the maximum half-monthly 
payment, which is at present Rs. 15, be raised to Rs. 30. The 
changes in the method of calculating assumed wages will produce a 
small enhancement in the general level of the scales, apart from the 
substantial enhancements arising from the raising of both the minima 
and the proportion of wages payable to the poorer workmen ; while 
the effect on workmen at the top of the scale will be marked. If 
our recommendations are adopted the maxima for death and permanent 
total disablement will be raised from Rs. 2,500 and Rs. 3,500 to 
Rs. 4,500 and Rs. 6,300 respectively, while all workmen getting over 
Rs. 100 a month will receive compensation for temporary disablement 
at the rate of Rs. 60 a month. The compensation in the case of 
fatal accidents to minors should not be changed : and, as at present,