'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎116v] (237/470)

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The summer crops suffered from the exceptionally low level of the Euphrates.
Further, the Saqlawiyah was bunded and no sweet water w r as allowed in.
The prospects in the Division for the coming year, however, are hopeful and
everything points to a large increase in the land revenue.
(B) Tapu. —A Mamur Tapu was appointed to the Division at the end of
October. Up to date he has been engaged in the verification of existing tapu deeds
of the house properties of Ramadi and Eallujah.
The whole of the cultivators in ‘Anah and Hit districts claim that their land is
tapu and the coming year it should be possible to verify this.
In Ramadi district, except for house properties in the Ramadi towm, there is
no tapu.
In Fallujah district there is very little tapu, w r ith the exception of the following
estates mentioned below-. These are the tapu estates of Hassai, Nassaf, ‘Amriyah
Muwailiyah, all on the right bank of the Euphrates, extending nearly the whole
length of the district, and owned by the Bait Kuyumjian, an Armenian family.
The Radhwaniyah estate, owned by Salim Zaibaq, Pachahji and Co., on the
left bank all along the Radhwaniyah Canal. Salim Zaibaq also owns ‘Ujair, Batrah
and Buzaibis on the right bank.
Two small tapu properties cultivated by the Albu ‘Alwan and Halabsah on
the right bank where marked on the accompanying map.
Jubail, owned by Isma‘il Effendi on the left bank below T Fallujah.
Kharab, owned by Hasan Beg, on the left bank below r Fallujah, and the estate
of Mahmud Shahbandar (prisoner of w r ar), rented to Mohammad Said of Fallujah
at Rs. 2,000 per annum. This is the Abu Sudairah estate.
(C) Waqf. —All Waqf throughout the Division is Sunni. The only district in
which there is no waqf is Ramadi.
"Anah. —There is waqf land at Hadithah, Jubbah and ‘Anah. Up to date it
has not been possible to find out the exact revenues derived from these lands.
At present, after Government has taken the usual taxes, the Imams of the various
mosques take what is left as their right and carry out any necessary repairs to the
mosques. Further investigation is required.
Hit. —Waqf property consists of one house and 10 shops and a portion of a date
garden. It is too early yet to say whether the revenues will be sufficient to meet
the salaries of the waqf establishment and cover incidental expenditures and the
necessary repairs to the mosque.
Ramadi. —At the present time the mosque is being re-built by public
subscriptions and, when completed, should be a very fine structure.
Fallujah. —The revenues derived from shop property, a large ambar and coffee
shop, bring in a monthly rental of Rs. 142/- to Rs. 167/-.
The pay of the establishment only amounts to Rs. 45/-. So that Fallujah
waqf is entirely self-supporting and leaves a good margin of profit over for repairs
and upkeep to the mosque, which is in a very good state of repair.
(D) Miscellaneous and Special Revenues. —Petition stamps realise from Rs. 70/-
to Rs. 100/- per month. The profits derived from the fish tax in Fallujah, Ramadi
and Hit are small.
The fish tax in the ‘Anah district appears to be more profitable, as from the
beginning of January to the end of March, the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Haqlan (T.C. 146 (A) DD a.b.)
is full of fish, possibly owing to the hot spring which runs into the river here.
The most profitable miscellaneous source of revenue is from the lime and
bitumen in the Hit district. The taxes collected are :—
Bitumen - - - - - Rs. 2/8 per ton.
Lime - - - - . - Rs. 1/8 „
The average monthly receipts at present are between Rs. 2,500 to 3,000.
No revenue has been derived from salt this year, and, run on Turkish lines, this
would not be a profitable ‘source of income. There are, however, three large
sources of salt. Government property, from which, at a later date, it maybe possible
to derive revenue :—
{a) Two days’ journey into the Jazirah from ‘Anah.
( 6 ) The salt pans in the vicinity of Hit.
(c) The salt deposits in the vicinitv of Umm Rahal (T.C. 1464. DD 39
DD. 40).