'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎211r] (426/470)

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Tobacco Ta#.-—This is levied at the rate of Rs. 7 /- per shop; Rs. 3/8/- per
hawker. There are at present 87 shops and 17 hawkers’ licences, bringino- in
Rs. 1,267/- up to the end of December. g °
Salt Tax .—Up to the end of December this brought in Rs. 1,143. It is beinv
abolished with effect from the end of the year. g
Boat Registration. —Brought in Rs. 3,487/- up to the end of December as
compared with Rs. 1,732/-.
Stamps. —Rs. 2,357/-, as against Rs. 1,158/- last year.
The total revenue this year amounted to Rs. 1,05,541, as compared with
Rs. 39,355/- last year.
(e) Customs. —Nil.
(f) Compensations. —-Nil.
3. Irrigation. —As far as irrigation is concerned, the chief work of importance
is the building of a bund on the Bad‘ah and the diversion of the water southward
into the territory of the Ibrahim and Azairij. The work has not been carried out
on the scale intended by the District Irrigation Officer, owing to the difficulty of
obtaining sufficient labour, but it is expected to bring down a considerable quantitv
of water.
The other work of importance is the Sayih Canal. This was made with the
object of carrying water to the railway. It is of importance for irrigation also, and
provides water for the A1 Ghazzi through whose territory it flows.
4. Agriculture.—I asked the A.C.O. for a note on the agriculture of the
district. He has sent me a note on vegetable-growing, a copy of which has been
sent direct to you. He does not say anything about the crops.
5. Municipality-: (a) Officers. —The following officers were in charge of the
municipality during the year under report:—
Capt. Fletcher.
Capt. Suter.
Capt. McDermott.
Lieut. Orgill.
Rushdi Effendi.
(b) Works. —The two chief works completed during the year are the Women’s
Market and the Bullock Lines. A certain amount of work was done also towards
levelling and clearing up of roads. Much more of such work might have been done
had finances permitted.
(c) Finances. —Owing to the fact that large bills were sent in for rations
consumed by B.O.R.s and I.O.R.s attached to the municipality, and bv the
bullocks used for sanitation purposes; owing also to the fact that large refunds were
demanded from municipal funds for the benefit of civil revenues, the finances of the
municipality were not in a favourable position. Application has been made to the
Civil Commissioner, however, for the refund to the municipality of certain sums
paid for the benefit of the Civil Administration. If this refund is granted, it will
put the municipality on its feet again.
The other activities of the municipalities are dealt with under the headings
Education, Sanitation, &c.
6 . Judicial. —The following cases were dealt with during the nine months
from April to December 1918 :—
Civil cases ------- 430
Criminal - - - - - 60
Muhammadan law - - - - - -272
Application for passes ..... 32 $
Miscellaneous ------ 694
Tribal cases settled - - - - - - 127
7. Education. —There is one primary school in Nasiriyah, with a staff of
three masters and two religious teachers. At the commencement of the year
there were 48 boys on the rolls; there are now 126. Between January and April
there was a steady increase in the number of boys attending the school, but after
the latter month the numbers decreased, owing to the abolition of religious
education. This has been reintroduced and the numbers have again increased.
During the year the Directorate of Education was established. The Director
himself came down on tour from Baghdad in December and visited the school.
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