Mrs. Jaiji Petit has sent the following notes of an experiment being
conducted in spinning among the famine-stricken people at Miri near
Ahmednagar. I gladly publish the notes as the experiment is being
conducted under the supervision of an Englishwoman. The reader will not
fail to observe the methodical manner in which the work is being done.
All the difficulties have been met and provided for. Even the very small
experiment shows what a potent instrument the spinning wheel is for
famine relief. Properly organised it cannot but yield startling
results.--M. K. G.
In the month of August 1920, when the severity of the famine was being
felt, the idea of introducing spinning as a famine relief to respectable
middle class people was started and Miss Latham kindly gave a spinning
wheel to introduce the work. Attempts were made to introduce the work
especially among the Dhangars who were used to spinning wool but they
proved futile. Spinning a thin thread of cotton was thought an
impossibility in a village which did not know anything about it. Doubts
were also entertained as to whether the work if taken up would be paying
or at least helpful. In such different difficulties and objections, the
wheel remained idle for nearly three months, and in spite of vigorous
efforts no body seemed willing to take up the work. In December 1920,
Miss Latham again sent four more wheels through the kindness of
Mrs. J. Petit and some cotton. They were given for trial to different
persons. Signs now seemed a little hopeful and at last one Ramoshi woman
was prevailed upon to take up the work seriously. This was about the
20th of January 1921, since when the work has assumed a different shape.
The example of this woman was copied by two more who undertook to take
the work. Through great perseverance 4 lbs. of yarn were prepared by
these three spinners and it was sent for sale. In the meantime many
women began to make the inquiries and expressed a desire to take it up
if it helped them financially in some way. A rate of spinning 6 as. a
lb. was therefore fixed and it helped other spinners to join the work.
Here another difficulty viz. that of funds came in the way. All the five
wheels were engaged and five more prepared locally were also engaged.
The stock of cotton was also exhausted. It seemed that the work would
suffer for want of funds to prepare wheels, purchase cotton, and pay the
workers. Rao Bahadur Chitale personally saw this difficulty and helped
the work with a grant of Rs. 100. Miss Latham, when she knew of this
difficulty, kindly sent another hundred. These two grants came at the
right time and gave a stimulus to the work. Local gentlemen helped with
their own cotton.
The demand for wheels went on increasing day by day. People being too
poor to pay for the wheels, it became necessary to get the wheels
prepared locally and lend them to the workers. Twenty seven more wheels
were prepared which also gave work to local carpenters who had no work
on account of famine. One carpenter improved the wheel by making it more
light and useful for finer yarn. The prices of the wheel were paid at
Rs. 3, Rs. 3-8, and Rs. 4 per wheel according to the quality. Three of
these wheels have been sold for Rs. 9-8. The total sum spent on these
wheels is Rs. 103-8-0 which includes the sum for the wheels kindly sent
by Mrs. Petit.
Though local cotton was secured for the work, it proved too bad for
beginners. A new method therefore was introduced to improve the local
cotton, which not only helped the work but also provided work for a few
more persons. Raw cotton was secured and the dirt and the dry leaves in
it were carefully removed before it was ginned. The rate for this work
was fixed at one pice per lb. Any old man who did this work got an
opportunity of earning one anna a day, by cleaning 4 lbs. of raw
cotton. After it was thus cleaned, it was ginned with a hand-gin which
gave work to some women who ginned, at the rate of one anna per 10 lbs.
One woman could thus earn 2 as. and 6 pies each day. This ginned cotton
was then cleaned by a _pinjari_ who charged at the rate of one anna per
pound and earned about 8 as. per day. It would have been better and
easier too, if cotton had been purchased from the mills, but as this
cleaning process of the local cotton provided work for a few workers, it
was thought the more desirable in these days. A major portion of these
cleaning charges is however made up by the sale of cotton seed secured
after ginning. The following statement will show the expenses incurred
for this and the price of raw cotton for every 60 lbs.