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MISCELLANEOUS OCCUPATIONS
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LAUNDRIES
The location of laundry establishments as such is restricted only to the towns in the district. In other parts of the district where there are no laundry shops the services are rendered by dhobis who collect the clothes from the customers by moving from place to place. The clothes are washed and ironed and delivered back to the customers. A small sized laundry has a table for ironing, while a well-equipped laundry has a few tables, a cupboard, a couple of irons, in a few cases electrical. In 1961, 982 persons were engaged in the laundry services as against 638 in 1951.
The establishments selected for the survey were truly representative of the occupation as a whole as they belonged to various sizes. In the urban areas, the occupation was the main source of livelihood to those engaged in this profession; whereas in rural area it was a subsidiary means of livelihood.
The accessories of a laundry establishment consist of soap, soda, tinopal, bleaching powder, starch, etc., whereas charcoal and firewood are used as fuel. Most of these items are purchased locally. The extent of the consumption of these items depends upon the type and size of the establishment as few shops do the business of ironing only and do not require other materials except charcoal and firewood. Nevertheless a small laundry spends on account of accessories, Rs. 10 to Rs. 40 and a big one, Rs. 50 to 75 per month.
The equipment depends upon the size of the establishment. An average laundry possesses petty furniture like a chair, a table and a cupboard to keep the clothes, ironed or otherwise. The number of irons depends upon the size of the shop. The cost of an iron comes to Rs. 150. The initial capital investment is small in regard to this occupation. As capital is not locked up as the business is on a cash basis, a number of persons have taken up to this profession.
In regard to this profession it was found out that the entire family works as a working unit. The dhobis have no fixed working hours and they practically remain busy throughout the day They are paid on piece-rate basis, the rate depending upon the number of items accepted for washing and cleaning. A big unit usually employs the services of three to four persons. The monthly wages of a dhobi were found to vary between Rs. 40 and Rs. 75
The laundry services include washing and cleaning and ironing clothes. The gross turnover of a big laundry generally varies between Rs. 450 and Rs. 600 per month.
It is difficult to say as to whether washermen as a class have succeeded in elevating their economic position. The independent dhobis are hardly found to be earning substantially. But those who have established a laundry and have regularised their business in a systematic manner enjoy a moderate level of subsistence |
