6o 



PUDIT PONNANI. 



Fishermen are Pudu Islams and their economic condition is 

 very poor with no capitalists among them. All are indebted to 

 Mappilla fish traders. The chief occupation is fishing but few 

 own cocoanut topes. Most of the curers own boats and nets but 

 the few wilhout boats or nets work conjointly with those who 

 possess boats and they get a share in the catches. For boats the 

 owners are paid either Rs. 2 to Rs. 4 per mensem or a share in 

 the catches. 



The females of the ticket-holders attend to curing. Hired 

 labour is employed on heavy days and is paid by the job. The 

 ordinary cooly per day is paid 3 to 4 annas for males and 2 to 2^ 

 annas for females. 



VELLIANGODE. 



Fishermen are Pudu Islams. They are notorious for their 

 ignorance, dirty habits, and filthy houses. They are of strong 

 physique and are hard working. Their chief occupation is fishing 

 and allied industries. A small minority are of moderate means and 

 the rest poor— living a hand-to-mouth life. Mappilla curers engage 

 men for their business and poor curers are in miserable condition, 

 for they are compelled by three or four rich ones who advance 

 money, to give all cured fish and fresh fish at very low prices. 



No hired labour is employed generally but during days of heavy 

 catches coolies at job rates are engaged. About 8 Mappilla curers 

 keep permanent coolies at Rs. 2-8-0 to Rs. 4 per mensem with the 

 customary perquisite of small fleshy parts of large fish and a present 

 of cloths worth Rs. 3 to 5 on Ramzan day. 



PALAPPATTI. 



Most of the curers are poor and entirely depend on this industry. 

 They borrow money at 24 to 36 per cent interest from local capital- 

 ists. Labour is cheap and plentiful and wages are paid by jobs. 

 A male cooly can get 3 annas and a female 2 annas per day. 



MANNALAMKUNNU. 



Most of the curers are poor. There are five well-to-do curers. 

 The other curers borrow money at 2/^ to 5 per cent interest per 

 mensem. Hired labour is generally employed on job rates. 

 Monthly rates are paid in rare cases at Rs. 5 per mensem. 



EDAKAZHIYUR. 



Fishing population consists of both Moonnillakkars and Pudu 

 Islams. They are as a class unintelligent, uneducated, and ignorant. 

 Only about 5 per cent of Moonnillakka males and 2 per cent of 

 Pudu Islam males are literate and female education is uncared for. 



The majority of the fishermen are poor, and are indebted from 

 Rs. 100 to Rs. 300 to well-to-do ticket-holders to whom they are 

 obliged to sell their fish. Only a limited number have proper houses 

 and compounds, and most of the folk live in huts made of kadjan 

 tatties. Only four Moonnillakkars and one Pudu Islam possess 



