The Gazetteers Department

There were 170 tailoring establishments in the city at the time of survey. Of these, 30 were located in A ward, 27 in B ward, 48 in C ward, 28 in D ward and 37 in E ward. A total of 280 persons including 172 members of owners' families were engaged in them. Only six concerns of different sizes were surveyed in the sample.

All the shops in the sample were started after 1936. Tailoring was the principal occupation in them, providing employment throughout the year. They were situated in rented premises. Three were started by the owners with their own capital, while the other three owners borrowed the necessary initial capital. It was found that the latter persons repaid the loan before the survey was undertaken.

The total capital investment in these shops varied from Rs. 450 to Rs. 8,000. The smallest unit had an investment of Rs. 450, three others had between Rs. 1,500 and Rs. 2,000 and the remaining two had Rs. 7,000 and Rs. 8,000.

The equipment required in these shops was sewing machines, scissors, showcases and a few pieces of furniture. Two shops had five machines each, and the remaining four had six, four, three and one each. The cost of equipment of each shop varied from Rs. 400 to Rs. 2,600. The smallest unit had equipment Worth Rs. 400 and the largest Rs, 2,600.

Other expenses borne by the shops for maintenance of establishments were rent, electric charges. Rent of the establishments varied from Rs. 12 to Rs. 70 per month. The smallest unit had to pay Rs. 12 and the biggest Rs. 70 per month Five shops together consumed electricity worth Rs. 33 per month; the sixth one was not using electric power. Total cost of maintaining each establishment including wages, raw materials etc. varied between Rs. 100 and Rs. 900 according to the size of the unit.. Raw materials required were thread, and canvas cloth. Two shops consumed 70 reels of thread; the other two 60 and 20 reels respectively per month. One shop spent Rs. 100 per year on advertisement.

The total number of employees employed in these six shops was 36 including nine persons who were the members of owners' families. One shop was exclusively managed by the owner. Wages to the employees were paid at piece rate. A worker got wages equivalent to 50 per cent. or 60 per cent. of the work done. The average monthly wage bill of a worker was between Rs. 50 and Rs. 80.

Shirts, coats, trousers, pyjamas, etc. were the main clothes stitched in the shops. Their charges varied from shop to shop in the sample. A shirt was charged between As. 12 and Rs. 1/4, a coat from Rs. 5 to Rs. 25 and a trouser from Rs. 3 to Rs. 15. The net income of each shop varied from Rs. 75 to Rs. 250 per month. Stitching charges were fixed according to the quality and nature of the work done. All the orders for stitching clothes were received from local people. One of the shops in the sample was specialized in stitching woollen clothes. The brisk season of tailoring establishments was winter and summer. It was found that in these establishments the margin of profit was not very high.

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