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MISCELLANEOUS OCCUPATIONS
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SARAFEE.
SARAFS are a body of persons who are engaged in the sale of gold and silver ornaments and other articles of domestic use. In 1926, when Dr. Balkrishna made the survey [Op. cit., p. 1.] in Kolhapur he found that there were 62 establishments of shroffs in the city. At the time of survey there were 184 establishments of shroffs which were mostly located in B C and D wards. Of the five wards in the city, C ward contained the largest number, B and C wards together accounting for as many as 156.
The total employment in all these establishments was 474 persons out of whom 224 were members of employers' families and 250 other employees. Fifteen children were employed in the shops. Six saraf shops were surveyed in the sample. Of these, one was started in 1849, the other in 1890, two others in 1909 and 1910 and the remaining two in 1935 and 1943 respectively.
Sarafee business was the principal occupation providing employment throughout the year in four establishments in the sample. In the remaining two shops, money-lending was the chief occupation and sarafee was a subsidiary occupation. Three establishments were situated in the premises owned by owners and three in rented premises. All these establishments were dealing only in the sale of ornaments.
They had equipment like safes, balances and a few pieces of furniture like chairs and tables. The value of equipment of each establishment in the sample varied from Rs. 700 to Rs. 3,500.
The circulating capital of the smallest unit was Rs. 10,000 and of the biggest unit Rs, four lakhs.
These establishments were mainly dealing in gold and silver ornaments. The consumption of gold and silver of the two small units in the sample was about 50 and 800 tolas each per month. Two other units consumed 200 and 250 tolas of gold and 3,600 and 800 tolas of silver per month respectively and the last two 100 tolas of gold each and 1,000 and 3,000 tolas silver. The other items of expenditure on establishments were electricity and municipal tax and advertisement.
Municipal tax was collected from those establishments which were situated in proprietors owned premises. The amount of tax varied from Rs. 50 to Rs. 300 per year. Two establishments consumed electricity worth Rs. 6, the third Rs. 8 and the other two Rs. 10 and Rs. 11 per month. One unit in the sample was spending Rs. 50 per year on advertisement. Three establishments were situated in rented premises, the rent of each varied from Rs. 23 to Rs. 50 per month.
The total employment in all the six units was 36 persons out of whom 18 were members of employers' families and 18 paid employers. Clerks in the shops were paid between Rs. 60 and Rs. 100, salesmen Rs. 50 and peons between Rs. 30 and Rs. 50 per month. The biggest unit in the samples had ten
employees out of whom five were members of owner's family. The working hours of these employees were eight a day.
The net income of two average sized units was about Rs. 250 each and of the remaining three between Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 1,600 per month. These units usually placed orders for the manufacture, of gold and silver ornaments with different artisans, by supplying them the required quantity of gold and silver and artisans were only paid wages, for the work done. The manufactured articles were directly sold by the establishments either to retail dealers or to customers. The usual market for the products was Kolhapur district as a whole. Business was brisk between October and May. Establishments in the sample catered the needs of all classes of people in the district. Our finding in the sample showed that business of four establishments was profitable.
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