'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎122v] (249/470)

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The few claims for compensation point strongly to the good behaviour of the
large number of troops encamped in the district. In each case where compensation
has been claimed, the damage has been caused by military necessity, never by
wilfulness or neglect.
The payment of compensation where damage has unavoidably been caused has
a political effect strongly favourable to us.
3. Irrigation.— There have been two noteworthy irrigation works carried out
in Fallujah district during the past year.
Firstly, the existing Abu Ghuraib Canal (shown on the accompanying map) has
been thoroughly cleaned out and, where necessary, levelled and deepened. It is
an important canal, watering a considerable area both in Fallujah, Kadhimain and
Baghdad districts. The land it feeds is sanniyah land, and consequently it is highly
remunerative to keep the canal in good repair. The Turks had not excavated it
well, and in places rock outcrops had to be removed to keep the level. Its present
condition is infinitely better than it has even been before. This fact is fully realised
by the local inhabitants. The work has been carried out free by tribal labour
supplied almost entirely by the Zoba‘ in Fallujah district. These did not need
much pressure to keep them on the work, and worked very well throughout. The
canal was opened on the 25th November, ensuring ample time for this winter crop’s
cultivation.
The second and largest scheme has been the cutting of a large, deep, feeder
channel from the Euphrates in T.C. 100 B square S 34 central to the depression
running into the old Saqlawiyah canal N.E. of it. This will bring the Saqlawiyah
canal into cultivation again, eventually making it capable of watering 250,000 acres
of remarkably rich soil, 40,000 acres of which will be perennial. Tribal holdings are
shown on the attached map.
The feeder channel is a fine piece of work, and the Saqlawiyah will be one of the
largest canals opened in ‘Iraq this year. The labour supplied has been entirely
tribal, composed of the tribes actually intending to cultivate from the canal. These
are the Jumailah (who have continually supplied their full share of labour and have
done the lion’s share of the excavations), the Zoba‘, the Halabsah, and the
Muhamdah.
Work had to be stopped entirely for a whole month owing to two sharp outbreaks
of cholera occurring consecutively among the labour, dispersing it each time; and
finally the epidemic of Spanish influenza, which stopped work for a fortnight.
Political pressure was throughout necessary to keep the tribal labour supplied
up to full numbers, and several fines had to be inflicted. At the conclusion of the
work, however, enthusiasm increased, and labour worked well to open up the canal
and depart to cultivate it. Irrigation in this district is now sufficient to supply
every Arab with cultivation. Consequently, the available supply of paid labour
and of organised Arab labour for military requirements will tend to decrease. In
various instances owners of property are now unable to cultivate the whole of it for
lack of fallahs 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 naturally prefer to cultivate their own land if they can get any.
In short, the area of irrigated land is now fully sufficient for the whole population
of this district.
4. Agriculture.- Agriculture in the Fallujah district during the past year has
been hampered by scarcity of rain during the winter and by an abnormally low
river-level during the summer.
Winter and summer crops accordingly suffered. Nevertheless, Government
received from the winter crops over 1,420 tons of barley and over 230 tons of wheat,
and the cash equivalent for over 330 tons of summer crops. With the assistance of
the Saqlawiyah Canal and favourable weather and water-level, the produce of the
district should be nearly double the above figures.
I he w heat advances issued last year or early this year were a complete failure
and total remission was necessarily granted. The seed may have been poor or,
being Indian seed, the cultivators did not water it at the right time.
Advances of barley seed w^ere mostly recovered at cash conversion rates of
Rs. 240/- per ton. Cash advances were a success.
The plan adopted this year of issuing no advances, but providing grain for sale
as seed at reasonable prices, is quite the most practical and the simplest to supervise,
and guards Government from possible loss through misuse of advances of seed and
consequent petitions for remissions, tallujah district has apparentlv sufficient
seed grain, and no advances on cash payment have been asked for. The improve