'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎88r] (180/470)

APPENDIX G.
Prisoners of War Dependents .—In February last the payments made to the dependents of
prisoners of war were most irregular, owing to the more urgent work of political officers. Many
families had received nothing for months. On the opening of the A.P.O. town office in the Baladiyah
the matter was fully gone into and organised, and relief came just in time.
Compassionate allowance at the rate of Rs. 4/- a head per mensem has been allowed to the various
members of a family. This has been fair allowance, but of course it cannot support a totally destitute
person, the living rate being about Rs. 15/- per mensem. The balance has been made up, no doubt,
from charitable and other sources.
In a few cases, where the position of the prisoners has made it necessary, when he has belonged
to the officer class, a slightly larger allowance has been paid.
The unravelling of the approximate truth as regards these payments—there are over 160
families—has taken a great deal of time and correspondence. Mukhtars in each case have to vouch
for the validity of the claims as far as they can, and are responsible under penalty to inform one of
any necessary changes in the allowance due to marriage, death or change of district. The people have
been paid monthly as far as possible. They are very grateful for the relief.
Most of the prisoners appear to have been originally conscripted, and to have taken part in the
actions fought against us at Shffiaibah and Nas'iriyah. A few have had experience of the Erzerum
campaign, and two men in Hillah have lost their fingers from frostbite in the war against Russia.
The far greater majority of the prisoners are interned at Samarpur, a prisoners’ camp I had been
all over in August, 1916.
The present monthly payment comes to Rs. 1,720/-.
Former Turkish Pensioners .—These have been given subsistence allowance only and some have
been refused any payment on the grounds that they are able to support themselves. This granting
of a subsistence allowance appears to be a fair charge in wartime, but, the war at an end, the question
arises as to the advisibility of granting such people a proper pension, a point I would call attention
to. Such pensions would be, in most cases, a fair charge on the country. If a generous pension is
not allowed, then a subsistence allowance as at present will surely be continued.
The number of people receiving S.A. under this head came to 54. The original allowances have
been recently modified, and in most cases a slight increase allowed in view of high prices and the
class of pensioner in question. Many are women of good family and cannot support themselves, if
not in receipt of other assistance, on less thanRs. 15/- p. m.—a bare living wage, which does not take
such questions as housing and clothing into account even.
Mukhtars are responsible for all statements they make with regard to these pensioners, and their
reports have been checked by police enquiries and a confidential report from the Rais el Baladiyah,
whom I have always found very open-minded and fair in such cases. He has in some instances
recommended deductions I would not allow.
The monthly (revised) payment totals Rs. 782/8/-.
APPENDIX H.
Number.
Amount.
Rs.
Prisoners of War
-
-
-
-
163
1,720 per per mensem.
Former Turkish Pensioners
~
'
'
55
782/8/-
APPENDIX I.
Billets. Billets were taken in a haphazard manner at first. Local Resources won easily and took
over rather more than they actually needed. Subsequently these spare buildings were given to other
departments.
In view of the ruined state of all public buildings and most private ones, much inconvenience was
caused, and it took many months to clean up the place generally and to settle down. Captain Truelove,
of the Irrigation department, has practically rebuilt the area we occupy and has completed a trans
formation under labour difficulties both “ pucka ” and pleasing to the eye.
Payment of the rents of the billets taken by Government has been much delayed. Rents have
been assessed at pre-war rates and are generally very low indeed, houses of value, say of Rs. 9,500/—,
being rented at Rs. 20/- per mensem. It is presumed that people did not invest in house property
and built for their own use only.
As four out of the seven mahallahs of the city had been systematically destroyed by the Turks,
house accommodation has been difficult to find and the influx of officials and others from Baghdad
has resulted in a rise of rents generally. I have restricted the rise in rent of shops and houses to
33 J per cent, temporarily, but there is little doubt that it has been evaded by false lease and other
means in some cases.
Hillah contains a number of large corn sifs, buildings specialised for the storing of grain; most of
the larger ones have been taken by Government for various purposes, and it would be advisable,
perhaps, to leave the remaining ones for the people.
As low pre-war rents are being paid and the improvements we make to buildings taken over are
seldom improvements from the Arab owner’s point of view, reductions for rebuilding, etc., will be