DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.24890#0045
( 36 )
from the weakly and from the children over 7 years of age
a smaller task, graduated according to their various capacities,
was required. This was the key-note of the system, and in
judging of the system’s material results, should not he forgotten.
In pursuance of this principle vast numbers of inefficient
labourers have been employed (to the lowering of the outturn
of work done per rupee of expenditure); but it was deliberately
decided that in the best interests of the people themselves
industry should be encouraged and idleness or sloth discouraged.
The best proof of the complete success of the policy adopted is
to he found in the fact noticed in the sequel, that the relief
works had no attraction, and that on the first opjrortunity the
people returned, undemoralized and with cheerfulness,, to their
ordinary avocations.
Relief works were divided into two classes: (1) large
projects of general utility affording employment to usually not
less than 5,000 labourers, the hulk of whom were obliged to
leave their homes and reside on or in the neighbourhood of the
works; and (2) lesser projects, serving some local purpose and
affording occupation to a smaller number of workers in the
neighbourhood of their homes. The former class were managed
by the Public Works Department: the latter were controlled
by the District Officer through his immediate subordinates or
through the resident village proprietors. In both alike
earthwork was the almost universal employment as being
the only one suited for unskilled labour. The embankment
of roads and the excavation of tanks were the chief projects
selected.
The first step on a large work is to divide the work-
people into gangs containing a certain number of groups of
diggers and carriers (usually one digger to three carriers), and
aggregating about 60 effective workers. To each gang is
assigned a certain measured task, calculated to represent a
reasonable day’s work for average unskilled workers, and this
task is usually subdivided among the component groups.
Weakly persons are assigned proportionally smaller tasks.
When the allotted task is finished, the labourers are free to go,
having earned the daily wage calculated, on a sliding scale
accoidingto the price of grain, as sufficient to purchase a day’s
ration. Under this system it is not open to the labourers to
earn a higher wage by doing a larger task. If the allotted
task was not completed, a proportional deduction was made
from the wages of the entire gang or of the group of
labourers who were at fault, subject to a minimum which
represents a penal or bare subsistence ration. Relow this
wages could not be reduced. The object of the arrangement
was to secure to each person sufficient to maintain life in return
for a reasonable task, and at the same time to make the work
unattractive to persons who could support themselves or
find employment elsewhere. The system did not enable
from the weakly and from the children over 7 years of age
a smaller task, graduated according to their various capacities,
was required. This was the key-note of the system, and in
judging of the system’s material results, should not he forgotten.
In pursuance of this principle vast numbers of inefficient
labourers have been employed (to the lowering of the outturn
of work done per rupee of expenditure); but it was deliberately
decided that in the best interests of the people themselves
industry should be encouraged and idleness or sloth discouraged.
The best proof of the complete success of the policy adopted is
to he found in the fact noticed in the sequel, that the relief
works had no attraction, and that on the first opjrortunity the
people returned, undemoralized and with cheerfulness,, to their
ordinary avocations.
Relief works were divided into two classes: (1) large
projects of general utility affording employment to usually not
less than 5,000 labourers, the hulk of whom were obliged to
leave their homes and reside on or in the neighbourhood of the
works; and (2) lesser projects, serving some local purpose and
affording occupation to a smaller number of workers in the
neighbourhood of their homes. The former class were managed
by the Public Works Department: the latter were controlled
by the District Officer through his immediate subordinates or
through the resident village proprietors. In both alike
earthwork was the almost universal employment as being
the only one suited for unskilled labour. The embankment
of roads and the excavation of tanks were the chief projects
selected.
The first step on a large work is to divide the work-
people into gangs containing a certain number of groups of
diggers and carriers (usually one digger to three carriers), and
aggregating about 60 effective workers. To each gang is
assigned a certain measured task, calculated to represent a
reasonable day’s work for average unskilled workers, and this
task is usually subdivided among the component groups.
Weakly persons are assigned proportionally smaller tasks.
When the allotted task is finished, the labourers are free to go,
having earned the daily wage calculated, on a sliding scale
accoidingto the price of grain, as sufficient to purchase a day’s
ration. Under this system it is not open to the labourers to
earn a higher wage by doing a larger task. If the allotted
task was not completed, a proportional deduction was made
from the wages of the entire gang or of the group of
labourers who were at fault, subject to a minimum which
represents a penal or bare subsistence ration. Relow this
wages could not be reduced. The object of the arrangement
was to secure to each person sufficient to maintain life in return
for a reasonable task, and at the same time to make the work
unattractive to persons who could support themselves or
find employment elsewhere. The system did not enable