MISCELLANEOUS OCCUPATIONS

TAILORING

Since long the tailor is an important as well as an indispensable constituent of the district economy. The proverbial term clothes make a man is now-a-days gaining wide-spread popularity not only in theory but also in practice. But even then inhabitants of some small villages of the district have to often go about over a distance in search of a tailor. The semiskilled tailor stitching clothes of ordinary type is commonly found in small villages of the district. Tailors in larger villages and towns are, however, professionally better and undertake stitching of all types of dresses viz., shirts, pants, blouses, children's, wear, etc. The tailors of the town are proficient, have some knowledge of changing fashions, and as such, can adopt to changing demands.

In the past, this occupation was of a hereditary nature. But in modern times, people have a tendency to choose any occupation which suits them and provides them with sufficient income. Naturally the hereditary nature of the profession is fast disappearing.

A tailor going from house to house, collecting orders, and making home-delivery of stitched clothes is a common sight in villages, but is rarely seen in towns. In a village the tailor establishes his shop in a small verandah of a house, usually his own residence, with a sewing machine, a pair of scissors, a measuring tape, etc. Conditions are different in towns and larger villages where the tailor accepts orders at the place of his establishment. The owner himself or a skilled employee, cuts the cloth, whereas stitching and other processes are left for the other employees.

The following statement shows the number of persons employed in the occupation during the various census years.

In the year 1961, out of 4,162 persons employed in this profession 1,788 (1516 males, 272 females) i.e., about 43 per cent belonged to the urban areas of the district.

A tailor has to expend on accessories, such as, thread, oil, buttons, measuring tape, monthly or annually as the case may be. The survey of four medium and nine small tailoring establishments revealed that the expenditure on the above mentioned items in case of medium and small shops varied from Rs. 60 to 300 per month and from Rs. 15 to Rs. 50 per month, respectively.

The tools and equipment of a medium-sized tailoring shop consisted of two to three sewing machines, each costing about Rs. 350: three to four pairs of scissors, the cost of each varying from Rs. 3 to Rs. 10, and a table.

In addition, some medium sized shops had a cupboard or two to keep the stitched clothes and the cloth of the customers accepted on order. In addition, some had benches and stools in their shops for the customers to sit upon. The small tailoring shops however had one to two sewing machines, and one or two pairs of scissors only.

The fixed capital of the units differed depending upon the size of the business. The fixed capital of medium-sized and small sized shops was found to be varying from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 1,500 and from Rs. 200 to Rs. 800, respectively.

Most of the establishments employed family labour and a very few employed salaried labour; average salary of a labourer was about Rs. 70 per month. The charges for stitching clothes in case of different units differed, depending upon the locality and also the quality of the cloth given for stitching.

The gross income of a medium unit varied from Rs. 400 to Rs. 550 per month and of a small unit from Rs. 250 to Rs. 300 per month. The net earnings of an average medium shop were found to be about Rs. 250 per month, while the net income of a small unit was found to be ranging between Rs. 150 and Rs. 200 per month.

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