'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎5v] (15/470)

8
There is now a fairly well-run school at Samarra, Daur, Balad, Sumaichah and
Tikrit, with a total daily attendance of 170 pupils. In these, one teacher each in
Samarra, Balad, Tikrit and Daur is paid out of civil funds. Desks, forms, paper, pens
and ink are all provided, and further progress is anticipated shortly.
8 . Medical and Sanitation.— ( 1 ) Samarra has had the reputation of being a
clean city since 1917, when it was cleaned up under the supervision of the Seventh
Division. It is kept clean now by a gang of Arab sweepers, working under a British
sanitary orderly.
An Indian sub-assistant surgeon and a dresser are resident in Samarra. The
sub-assistant surgeon attends a daily average of 20 out-patients at the Civil
Dispensary, which is well-stocked with drugs.
(2) Tikrit also has a sub-assistant surgeon, a dresser, and a Civil Dispensary
well-supplied with drugs.
The town was filthy when the Assistant Political Officer first arrived; but, by
strenuous efforts and the kind assistance of the Military, it is now in a much more
sanitary condition.
An experiment is shortly being tried in Tikrit with a view to persuading the
inhabitants to use public latrines and abandon the use of cesspool latrines which
exist in their houses. The writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. has not much hope in the success of the experiment;
apparently the best arrangement would be one whereby the existing cesspools were
ventilated by high pipes. This might be tried at a later date.
(3) Balad had a typhus epidemic in April which lasted 10 weeks. Immediate
steps were taken to isolate the cases, the town was placed out of bounds for troops
and the usual sanitary measures taken, with the result that the epidemic was
stamped out. The sub-assistant surgeon and dresser from Samarra were temporarily
sent to Balad during the epidemic.
Much valuable assistance has been given by Military during the year, including
the loan of British Medical Officers from time to time.
9. Police.— There is a Civil Police force in Samarra consisting of one Chaush
and 25 Police.
With the exception of one man, their behaviour throughout the year has been
exemplary.
It is proposed to ask authority to absorb them into the shabanah force, which
will shortly require to be augmented, and to transfer their duties to the shabanah.
They are well-trained and well-drilled.
10. Shabanah.— The shabanah distribution is as follows :—
Towns. Arab Officer.
N.C.s.
Mounted Men.
Infantry.
Samarra - - —
2
■ 17
Daur - - - —
Balad - - - 1
4
37
Sumaichah - - —
Tikrit - - - —
1
9
7
The force has been extremely useful in road-patrol and blockade preventive
work.
Since the hot weather considerable progress has been made in drill, and it is
hoped soon to arrange musketry practice on an open range.
r , K P r .?P° se( } to increase the strength and take over the guardina of the
Baghdad-Baip Railway at an early date.
11 Labour. At the moment of writing this report, approximately 1 800 men
are working m the Arab Labour Corps, whilst a large number have returned to their
ordinary work, which m most eases is cultivation.
The Muqadimah of Balad, and the Albu ‘Ali and Jubur of Tikrit are doim,
useful transport work with their camels. ’ £
( J ar y ie ^ s the Albu Tsa were readily brought forward to clear the Eighteenth
Divisional dump, after almost all Army transport had gone forward on the last
offensives.
A number of Arab pilots for river craft have been supplied to the Militarv firm
time to time. . A 1 j