'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎202v] (409/470)

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The Bani Sa c id had a very fine millet crop this last summer, while the a
(Bad‘ah elements) and Bani Zaid both had good rice crops. Nothing has yet been
attempted in the way of improving any of these crops. This will, no doubt, come
along when the Agricultural Department’s experiments are finished.
Agricultural loans up to Bs. 20,000/— have been disbursed.
5. Municipalities : (a) Shatrah Improvements. —The great municipal work of
the year has been the building of the Shatrah wall. The work was commenced m June
and is only just completed. Though Shatrah is only situated on the right bank of
the river, I was compelled to build the wall on both banks—owing to the fact that
for the six months of the year the river is dry. The wall has five gates and lour
towers. Over the gates are posted Sowar In the East India Company army and later Indian Army, an ordinary native cavalryman or mounted cavalryman. guards day and night, while the towers
are only occupied at nighttime by the town police. The wall is a good one, and
will withstand a good number of tribal raids—should these ever again become the
fashion. The effect of the wall has been all for good, and immovable property
has risen three and four hundred per cent, in value. Merchants are now confident,
and correspondingly more enterprising. Trade is rapidly increasing.
On arrival in Shatrah I was faced with huge mountains of refuse, m some
cases 15 to 20 feet high, and completely blocking wide roads. These I am pleased
to report are nearly all removed, and only a few at the back of the town now remain.
Street lamps have been purchased and the gloomy, uncared-for appearance
which Shatrah at first presented has disappeared. The houses were all numbered
prior to my arrival by Rushdi Effendi, now D.A.P.O., Nasiriyah.
The process of evolution has been gradual, but nevertheless sure.
Crime. —I have found exceptionally little crime in Shatrah since I have been
here. There have been occasional cases of assault and one or two cases of burglary.
Otherwise the town has been wonderfully free from crime of all kinds.
Combined Civil Post and Telegraph Office. —About the middle of October a
combined Post Office and Telegraph Office was opened in Shatrah. Its working
has been most satisfactory. A tri-weekly postal service was arranged, first between
Nasiriyah and Shatrah, and now also between Shatrah and Qal‘at Sikar. The post
is conveyed by the Muntafiq Horse. On account of rains, &c., it has been difficult
to keep the sowars up to time, but on the whole the arrangement works very well
indeed. The office more than justifies its existence and the inspector of Posts
who visited the office a short while ago was quite satisfied with its efficiency.
Water Supply. —This has been a most difficult problem. For six months in
a year the river bed is dry, and during this period wells have to be dug in the river
bed. The soil is very sandy, and no sooner is a well dug than its walls fall in. The
wells have to be cleaned 'out daily. Now that the irrigation project is almost
finished, it is hoped that Shatrah will enjoy water for the greater part of the year;
but until there is a perennial flow, there will always be this difficulty. I have spoken
to the Irrigation Officer on the subject and the matter will be looked into thoroughly
as soon as the irrigation work slackens off. It may be -possible to obtain water
from the Gharraf by pipe-line; but until the irrigation policy of the country is
defined one can do little.
General. —There has been a great deal of talk among the townspeople about
the return of the Turkish Government to ‘Iraq. This talk has continued in spite
of the Civil Commissioner’s declaration in Nasiriyah and subsequent notice in the
Basrah Times. This subject became the favourite one for discussion in the diwans
of the influential people of the town, and became so common that it was necessary
to have copies of the Basrah Times notice posted in all prominent places in the town.
This has to a very great extent had the effect of putting an end to such undesirable
discussions.
(b) Suwaij al DacJichah. —I have not yet considered it advisable to institute
“ baladiyah ” arrangements in Suwaij. Everything is left to the Mudir, Tahir al
Ziyarah, who is very energetic and keeps the bazaar and streets wonderfully clean.
Just lately he has been busily engaged building bunds on either side of the river
in readiness for the flood.
I should here like to place on record my appreciation of Tahir’s work. He
has not been given a very important position, but his work has always been very
thorough. He is deserving of a higher billet, and I should like to see his keenness
rewarded.