'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎208v] (421/470)

Nasiriyah, to the effect that only cases since the British occupation of Baghdad
would be dealt with. This eased the pressure considerably.
8 . Education. —There is a great demand for a school in Qal at Sikar, but
up to the present it has been impossible to open one. A suitable building is a great
difficulty, but suitable schoolmasters are still more difficult to obtain.
Two promising youths have already been sent to Baghdad to undergo a course
of training there. On the completion of their course they will, it is hoped, return
to Qahat Sikar. Only then will it be possible to open a school here.
9. Medical and Sanitation. —There is no Civil dispensary in Qal at Sikar,
and the Assistant Political Officer is considered the doctor. He is expected by the
populace to provide remedies for all maladies and a good stock of medicines is
essential.
The tribes suffered heavily from the epidemic of Spanish influenza. A con
servative estimate gives the deaths at 40 men and 300 women and children.
A vaccinator was sent to Nasiriyah for training and has now returned duly
qualified. He has brought with him 'a certain amount of vaccine and has already
commenced the vaccination of children.
The sanitation of the three municipalities has been thoroughly attended to.
Each town has an efficient body of sweepers and the cleanliness of the streets is
striking. In Qakat Sikar six incinerators have been built and these satisfactorily
dispose of all refuse.
10. Muntafiq Horse. —One squadron is always at QaTat Sikar, and the
following outposts are maintained:—Karradi, one chaush and 10 men; Suwaij
Shijar, one chaush and five men; Surveyors’ escort, one chaush and 15 men.
Exceptionally good work was done by Yasir when first I arrived. He personally
supervised the building of the stables, and during my absence he saw that no
slackness was allowed to take place on the part of the sweepers, &c. For a long
while the policing of the town was in the hands of the Muntafiq Horse.
The good work of Jabar should not be forgotten. Jabar is quite a young
Squadron Commander, and his squadron is composed of many wild characters
from the Suraifiyin and Toqiyah. He keeps them well in hand and has proved
of the greatest assistance to the Assistant Political Officer.
11. Town Police. —Qakat Sikar force consists of one chaush, one onbashi, and
12 men, while the strength of Karradi is one onbashi and six men.
For a considerable period there was the greatest difficulty in obtaining men.
Why this should have been is hard to say. It was only after the mukhtars were
ordered to produce guaranteed men that the force was brought up to strength. One
of the Shatrah Chaushes is now in Qakat Sikar knocking the Police there into shape.
I expect to find a great improvement when next I inspect them.
The uniforms have only just been received for the Karradi Police, so these
men- cannot be expected to be up to the standard. As soon as the Qakat Sikar
men are more or less trained I intend sending the Chaush instructor to drill the
Karradi men for a fortnight or so.
12. Labour. —Two large demands have been made on the Qakat Sikar tribes,
and in each case the demands were met, though with considerable difficulty. Five
hundred men worked at Sayih until their allotted task was completed, and 2,000
men came down to Shatrah and worked well on the irrigation project there for
about 12 days, also finishing the work set them.
The fact that these tribes, living in some cases 70 miles away from Nasiriyah,
were persuaded to work at Sayih (6 miles beyond Nasiriyah) speaks exceptionally
well for their settled condition and amenability to law and order.
G. A. Haysom, Captain,
(Officiating) Assistant Political Officer,
Qal‘at Sikar.
Copy to—
( 1 ) The Civil Commissioner, Baghdad, through the Political Officer,
Nasiriyah.
(2) The Political Officer, Nasiriyah Division, Nasiriyah.