OBSERVATIONS ON SIR VICTOR SASSOON’S MINUTE. 489 
reasonable in another, and hours of work which might be appropriate 
in the cold weather might be excessive in the hot weather in the same 
district”. The fact is that the arrangement of hours throughout the 
cotton mill industry is remarkably uniform and shows no consciousness 
of the alleged difficulties. In Bombay, Ahmedabad, Calcutta, Cawnpore, 
Delhi, Madras and, indeed, throughout India, nearly all the mills work 
a 10 hour day in the hot and the cold weather alike. 
Sir Victor Sassoon observes « The only practical way in which I 
cai envisage any reduction of hours in the textile industry without dislo- 
cation is an attempt to shorten them when the prosperity of the industry 
is such that a rise in wages is due ”. A reduction of hours at any time 
may involve some temporary dislocation ; but we can not subscribe to the 
view that the reduction should be postponed to such an indefinite future. 
Reform is likely to be more difficult when the demand for production is 
keenest, and in some respects, the present time, as we have already shown, 
is particularly suitable for making a change. 
Sir Victor Sassoon has dealt at some length with our conclusions 
regarding the application of wage-fixing machinery to the tea plantations 
in Assam. He makes distinctions between agriculture and industry and 
advances different points of view which we cannot accept. In his opinion 
wage-fixing machinery should not be set up in Assam until it is first proved 
that conditions in the plantations * are so shocking that their remedy 
brooks no delay ” or until action is taken on the lines recommended 
in the Report with reference to Indian industries generally. Having 
already dealt so fully with the special considerations that have led us to 
the conclusion that wage-fixing machinery, if practicable, is desirable 
in the case of the Assam plantations. we do not feel called upon to cover 
the ground again. 
We would point out, however, that, in his survey of the condi- 
tions, our colleague has not given due weight to the differences between 
Assam plantations and other industries, which we regard as of material 
importance. He admits that recruitment for Assam is not free and that 
long distances have to be covered by the workers and their families, 
in whose recruitment large sums of money are being expended by the 
industry. But no mention is made of the fact that, under existing 
conditions, it is difficult for workers and their families to find their way 
back to their villages, should they so desire, without the consent and 
assistance of their employers. Nor is any reference made to the fact 
that, in the case of the great bulk of the plantations, it is difficult for any 
worker and his family to change their employment from one estate to 
another without the consent of the employer. Keeping in view, also, 
that wages are determined by the joint action of employers in a manner 
unknown in industries generally, we regret we cannot agree with our 
colleague as to the conditions and circumstances which alone would 
justify, in his opinion, the application of wage-fixing machinery in Assam. 
As regards Sir Victor Sassoon’s remarks on the subject of the 
inclusion of intelligent and sympathetic outsiders on Minimum Wage 
Boards. we have dealt with this fully in the Revort. There we pointed out