The Gazetteers Department

The two towns Amalner and Jalgaon had 35 and 98 hair-cutting establishments respectively at the time of survey. The total employment in them was 270 persons including children. Hair-cutting saloons in Amalner employed 64 persons out of whom 43 were owners and their family members and employment in them in Jalgaon was 206 out of whom 148 were owners and their family members. No children were employed in them in Amalner while in Jalgaon 6 children including 4 family members were employed. No women were employed in these shops. Out of the six establishments surveyed in Amalner, one was started in 1920 and one each in 1930, 1935, 1936, 1937 and 1952. Hair-cutting was the principal occupation in them which gave employment throughout the year. The proprietors of four establishments out of the six raised initial capital from their own resources. The other two had borrowed the same but it was found to have been repaid at the time of the survey. Out of the four establishments surveyed in Jalgaon, one was started in 1927, one in 1942, one in 1947 and one in 1949. Hair-cutting was the principal occupation in them, which gave employment throughout the year. One proprietor raised capital from his own resources, while the three had borrowed the same hut it was found to have been repaid.

The ten establishments in Amainer and Jalgaon for which information was available were situated in rented premises. The rent of each varied from Rs. 5 to Rs. 30 per month. The smallest establishment in the sample at Jalgaon paid Rs. 10 and the biggest Rs. 20 as rent per month. Besides rent, these establishments had also to incur expenditure on other items for their maintenance. These items included water, electricity charges, municipal licence fee, wages paid to employees, etc. The biggest establishment in Amalner paid Rs. 30 per month as electricity charges; the other two rupees seven each and the rest rupees three each. Four establishments in Jalgaon paid rupees live each per month as electricity charges. They did not spend any amount on water nor on municipal licence fee.

Tools and equipment possessed by the establishments were cropping machines, razors, scissors, toilet requisites, dressing tables, mirrors, revolving chairs, etc. The biggest establishment in the sample in Jalgaon had eight dressing tables and chairs, four cropping machines, five razors, and three pairs of scissors. The total cost of this equipment was about Rs. 450 and Rs. 40 were spent annually on its repairs. The medium shop had equipment worth Rs. 200 and a small shop worth Rs. 100, and about Rs. 30 were spent annually on their repairs. In Amainer, two establishments had equipment worth Rs. 500 each and the other two had about Rs. 200 each and the remaining two Rs. 100 each.

The total employment in the establishments in Jalgaon was 10 out of which live were paid employees. Two establishments paid Rs. 45 per month to each employee and one Rs. 40. The working hours in these establishments varied from 8 to 10 per day.

Besides equipment, the establishments used toilet requisites such as shaving soap, hair oils, towels, powder, etc. The biggest establishment in the sample in Amainer spent Rs. 150 per month on toilet requisites, two others Rs. 150 and the remaining three Rs. 50 per month. The amount spent on these items by establishments in Jalgaon varied from Rs. 10 to Rs. 50 per month.

The monthly net income of the establishments in Amalner varied from Rs. 150 to Rs. 450 per month and in Jalgaon, from Rs. 100 to Rs. 250 per month. The business was reported to he generally profitable and was usually brisk during winter and summer. The rates charged for various types of services in Jalgaon were as follows: Hair-cutting 4 to 8 annas, shaving 3 annas and shaving and hair-cutting 8 to 10 annas.

The number of customers served by the establishments depended upon their situation, size and comforts offered by them. A one-man establishment not situated in a very busy area served about 8 to 10 customers a day.

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