'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎54v] (113/470)

04
Food Supply and Prices ,—The supplies of food and oil to Najaf in the past
half year have given considerable trouble. The town was rationed on barley
at lbs. per head per diem. Government barley was sold at 10 annas a huqqah,
the market supply of such private supplies as reached the town being four annas
higher. Sales were restricted to about 8 tons daily and were very carefully
controlled.
Almost coincident with the declaration of the Armistice the price of private
barley dropped to eight annas. Government barley was also reduced to eight
annas, which induced a further fall of an anna in the price of private grain, at which
rate it is now being sold, of excellent quality and unlimited quantity. This goes to
show that large quantities of grain were hidden in sardabs, and not used until the
feeling of insecurity disappeared.
The price of meat has been very difficult to control. Careful inquiries were
made and orders were issued fixing the maximum price of mutton at 8 annas
a lb. The butchers were determined to get more for their pound of flesh. The
method of evasion they adopted was to inform their customers that Government
had forced them to sell at a loss, and that a purely optional expenditure of an extra
kaan would save them from the sin of buying what amounted to confiscated property,
and was therefore haram. As this practice was universal it was necessary to
imprison all the butchers, about 40 in number. The price has since been raised
2 annas a lb., as sheep are very scarce.
It is realised that competition is the best regulator of market prices, but when
that element is lacking, owing to supernormal conditions, maximum prices have to
be fixed to prevent robbery by the confederated purveyors.
Should the necessity for the control of the prices of foodstuffs rise next year,
it is hoped that some universal system of fixing prices may be adopted.
See Diagram.
Jaarah and Abu Sukhair .—These two are included as one municipality The
tormer is a large town containing about 6,000 inhabitants, though from a municipal
s andpomt the population of the date gardens which surround it must be included
which brings up the total to about 10,000. Abu Sukhair holds, approximately,’
600 people The position of Ja‘arah renders municipal improvement exceedingly
ddhcult. !t is completely shut in on all sides by date gardens, and therefore cut
on from the world. Its connection with Abu Sukhair is a bad narrow winding road
o owing a canal, about one mile long. In former times, owing to its isolation, it
was untouched by any Government, and the consequence has been that the people
have developed the undisciplined habits of the town dwelling Arab to a degree that
was qui e exceptional. The town was externally filthy. Defecation in the public
horoughfare was the rule, the precincts of the mosque even were not made an
exception The town affairs were run by the Zuwain family, who were feared by
the people, and the mam body of opinion was directed by a ring of about 25
merchants, wno oppressed and robbed the people and indulged in intrigue.
T.mr i\ nOW dea f ; 1 sev , e . ral disused canals and depressions have been filled in,
w 1 dust ' bms ere cted and a municipal staff appointed. This is
increwd ien A n bU l t H S m ° re tlme T 11 be given to tbis P lace ’ 80 the staff can be
Post of 19 M,f V1 fbsp en sary is almost complete in a good position. A Shabanah
ost of 12 Nafars have their quarters m the bazaar, and the effect of visible
temporal power is very marked. visioie
will tirnw* ^ eing ma /? fr0m Abu Sukhair through the date gardens which
will thiow open the town and let in some fresh air.
of a millon® iS bazaar itself is about three-fourths
•u u ° -Ti’ and bacd y needs re-roohng, but it will be a verv costlv work It
Will be possible to get each shopkeeper to re-roof that part ovU his own booth
but this development of public spirit is necessarily a matter of time ’
stands at Rs l,“25/1/? ^ ^ and at the time of writin g the balance
verv1mall“w V t h iS • n ° lud f d witb the f °rmer as one municipality. The bazaar is
I7n tZe LL rivl rd P theTort°y h p? laCe ll6S !" itS ' The fact tbat *
of revenue easy and it is thiY b ° r t kr °nghfare, renders the collection
evenue easy, and it is the link on the road between Najaf and the eastern part