'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎17r] (38/470)

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irrigation works, which, although primarily taken up owing to military demands
for more crops, are ultimately to the benefit of the people. Under the former
category comes the Arab Labour Corps, which Captain Gibbs organised in Sindiyah
and which, owing to his tactful handling, became so popular that it absorbed nearly
two-thirds of the male population of Sadiyah, Sindiyah and Mansuriyah al Shatt.
200 men were also employed at one time on the upkeep of the Daltawah-Abu
Khamsah road alone.
Of works of public utility, the following are worthy of mention and each
absorbed a large amount of labour :—
( 1 ) Renovation of the river banks on the Tigris (supplied from the
villages of Khan Jadidah, Huwaish, Dukhalah, and Rashidiyah).
(2) Rebuilding of the 4 Awaijah Dam.
(3) New head for the Khalis Canal.
(4) Cleaning the head of the Khurasan and damming the Diyalah so as
to ensure a water supply in the Khurasan Canal.
(5) Digging out and cleaning the bed of the Mahrut Canal. Of these,
the new head for the Khalis Canal is the most important work of utility and
it will, when completed, do away with the necessity of the 4 A waij ah Dam,
which hitherto has been an annual charge.
An Arab Labour Corps of 1,500 men was organised for the work on the new
head of the Khalis. Although the work will be of inestimable benefit to the Khalis
district, it was not at all popular with the fallah Arabic for ‘peasant’. It was used by British officials to refer to agricultural workers or to members of a social class employed primarily in agricultural labour. , who, in many cases, had to work
on it far from home and consequently desertions were frequent.
The last two works were of shorter duration and the villagers, who were
interested in the works, supplemented the Government rate of pay to the labourers.
In October, the Irrigation Department, attempted to clean out the Tahwilah
Canal, but, owing to the scarcity of labour, due to large demands on it, this work
had to be postponed.
All labour, both skilled and unskilled, continued throughout the year to be
under the control of the Director of Labour.
It is a matter for satisfaction that the labourers of this Division, who, during
pre-war days, were accustomed to attend to their crops for a few months and waste
the rest of the year in idleness, allowed themselves to be occupied throughout the
year, and met the .large demands made on them on account of military necessity.
12. Miscellaneous. —The appeal to the population on Empire Day for funds
for the Red Cross realised a sum of Rs. 7,186/-.
The news of the armistice with Turkey was received with signs of thankfulness on
all sides, and the consequent removal of blockade and other restrictions was
especially welcome.
Under orders, from the Civil Commissioner, a Peace bonus, amounting to
Rs. 22,455, was distributed among the Arab staff of the Division.
13 Establishment. —The ordinary establishment at the headquarters of a
district has been an A.P.O. with a British and an Arabic clerk and 3 peons. He
is assisted in his Revenue work by two or three Mamurs, each in charge of a Shu‘bah.
Each Mamur has a clerk to assist him in his office and a warehousekeeper and staff
to assist in the receiving of the Government share of the harvest.
At the headquarters of the Division there were at the close of the year three
clerks for general correspondence work, of whom one was a B.O.R., one translator
and three clerks in the Accounts Branch. The Revenue side consisted of a Mai
Mudir and three clerks.
A British Officer, assistant to the Political Officer, commanded the Shabanah.
He was assisted by two B.O.R.s and Sergt. Lock, a very capable and energetic man,
was Dy. Superintendent of Jail.
I was Political Officer from 1st January to 31st May, and then handed over to
Capt. Bell on proceeding on leave to England. Capt. Bell acted till 30th June 1918.
Mr. Nalder, of the Sudan Civil Service, held charge till his transfer to Zakho on
1st November and Capt. Bell again acted till I resumed charge on 23rd December.
Capt. Bell has been Asst. Political Officer, Ba'qubah, from 29th January till the
end of the year. Capt. Walker was A.P.O., Shahraban, from 1st January to
4th December and Captains Jardine and Wrigley and Lieut. Macdonald held charge
of the present Daltawah area. The Dali ‘Abbas District was, in the earlier part of