160
This explanation also holds good in the case of the
average Hali, who is often allowed to emigrate to indus-
trial areas in the off season, when his master does not
require his services and wants to effect a saving of so
much wages, which he must pay even without exacting
any work, if the Hali is kept at home. In the case of the
Hali, there is one additional reason why his output of
work is not larger than that of the free labourer. It is
that, as he is guaranteed every day's food whether he
works or not, he becomes irresponsible and indifferent in
his work.
Whatever be the explanation of the inefficiency of
labour, the facts remain that the number of hours has de-
creased from 10 to 6,l and consequently the output of work
per day has decreased while the rate of wages has greatly
increased. This adversely affects agriculture which is
the principal industry of rural areas and calls for some
remedy.
REMEDIES
In suggesting remedies we should remember that the
problem of the village—which is generally true of
South Gujarat—is twofold : one is of the free labourer and
the other of the Hali.
Regarding free labour : In the first place we should
not forget that the tendency of the rural people to emi-
grate to urban areas is universal and cannot be checked
by any piece of Government legislation. Nor can the
problem of labour be solved by lodging repeated com-
plaints of the growing, scarcity and inefficiency of labour.
The real remedy lies in
(1) The resumption of actual field work by those who
have abandoned it; this will decrease the demand;
(2) the introduction of the system of paying piece-
wages ; this will tempt the labourer to put forth more work
than he does at present; or
1. Cf. Report of an enquiry into Agricultural Wages in the Bombay
Presidency, 1924^ paras 32 and 33.