20 
Indian Forest Records . 
[Vol. VII 
PART II. 
SECTION I—Organisation of labour and tasks. 
4. Before describing the organisation of labour and fixing of tasks, 
a brief account of what famine relief work 
The essentials of famine w jq q e ip non-initiated Forest Officers 
relief works. ^ understand what follows. It consists 
essentially of daily labour work on a gigantic scale*, with all Sorts and 
conditions of labour (from stout men to infants-in-arms), which is all 
carefully graded into 5 or 6 grades ; each grade has its standard daily 
wage. Wages are paid daily in aimas and pice to every man, woman, 
and child on every work, after the daily tasks have been measured up. 
Tasks not completed to standard lead to small fines. Daily labour 
muster rolls are kept up by gangs and grades of labour, but no 
signatures or thumb impressions taken. These details of working 
conditions will suffice to indicate the necessity of really good organisa¬ 
tion of labour, staff and tasks, to avoid confusion. When it is added 
that there are black sheep in every fold, but famine works appear to 
draw more than the usual proportion, the further necessity of most 
elaborate check and constant supervision becomes apparent. 
5. The grades of labour. These are defined in the Famine 
„ . .. & j Code. They are summarised for clearness 
Organisation of labour and ^ J 
staff. of subsequent details. 
Labour — 
B. Strong men and women. 
C. Weak or old men and women, youths and maidens of 15 or 
16 years old. 
D. Children 10—14 years of age. 
G. Children 7—10 years of age. 
H. Infants-in-arms. 
A. Mates of gangs. 
Foremen. —One foreman to 150 labourers. 
Managers— One to each work. 
Circle Officers —(i.e., Range officers) in charge of 5 to 6 works and 
3,000 to 5,000 labourers, which is as much as one Range officer 
can adequately look after. 
He must see each work once a week. 
*Note —To give an idea of scope of the work, payments in Forest famine works in 
the Etawah district in 1919 exceeded Rs. 1,000 daily when the work was in fuff swing, 
distributed between 15 works which were scattered over 50 miles of country. The famine 
fabour on ravine reclamation under the Divisional Forest Officer, Afforestation Divi- 
Bion, amounted to more than half the famine labour for the whole Province. 
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