'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎97r] (198/470)

The above figures include Government share on tapu land. The collection
of the barley and wheat revenue involved a considerable amount of organisation.
Old granaries were repaired and new erected; quarters were erected not only for
the Anbar staff, but also for Resources representatives; granary staff was engaged;
bridges were erected over the main canal and smaller channels; new roads were
opened out, these and a portion of the buildings being carried out by the Irrigation
Department. Before the harvest began to come in the Department of Local
Resources had their representatives on the spot ready to take their share in the
operations; this consisted in seeing that grain was up to standard, taking it
over after it had been weighed, bagging and handing it over to the Inland Water
Transport Department, who transported it down river to railhead at Kill, where
Resources representatives loaded it into trucks. A certain amount of grain was
transported by road to Hillah, but the great bulk went as described. There was
some delay in commencing grain collection, and it was towards the end of July when
this first revenue grain arrived in the Anbar. Once commenced, however, collection
proceeded satisfactorily, and by the 31st of August 1918 over 4,000 tons of grain
had been collected against a demand of 3,450 tons, the excess representing repayment
of seed advances. By the end of December 1918 the following amounts had been
collected :—
Government Share.
Repayment Seed Advance.
Repayment in Kind
of Cash Advances.
Kilos.
Kilos.
Kilos.
Barley - - - -
3,316,986
520,270
641,213
Wheat - - - -
244,077
134,881
—
Cash - - - -
Nil
Nil
—
the balance uncollected was :—
Barley, 3,990 kilos.
Wheat, 4,918 kilos.
The following statement shows demand, collection and balance of Government
share on summer crops :—
Demand in Kind.
Demand in Cash.
Collected in Cash.
Balance
in Cash.
Rs.
Rs
Rs.
White rice
336,660
53,865
12
< —
—
Red rice -
290,844
37,810
02
—
Idhrah Baidhah
1,181
177
03
—
Idhrah Safrah -
2,489
373
0
246
0
304
3
Dukhn
77,956
7,795
0
6,843
11
951
5
Mash
22,990
2,989
0
2,333
10
655
6
Lubyah
3,945
789
1
689
14
99
3
Sesame
1,280
575
5
490
8
84
13
Cotton
510
306
0
96
0
210
0
Date Tax .—The date tax was collected at four annas per bearing tree. A
committee was appointed, which counted the trees, and on the result of the count
the Mamur ShuTah collected the tax. The total was as under :
Demand. Collected. Balance.
Rs. 32,622 Rs. 28,324/6/6 Rs. 4,397/9/6
This compares with Rs. 11,192 collected the previous year, the increase
connoting a corresponding improvement in the honesty of the counter, the result
of a year of British rule.
Vegetable and Fruit Tax.—^This was farmed—a frank confession of inability to
devise a better system. Vegetables are grown all the year round in patches of
varying size. The amount paid by the farmer was Rs. 31,000, and the collection
of his dues, one-fifth, caused a considerable aitiount of heart-burning; the farmer
assessed vegetables consumed at home, in addition to the amounts collected by
him on sales in the bazaar. He was entitled to do this, but his assessments were