'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎221r] (446/470)

Tamattu was levied as in Baghdad.
both a^^enUfuL taX 0 " ?yPSUm (jaSS) W lime (nU1 ' ah) has been disc °vered, though
Flour mills were taxed at the ordinary wargi rates. Though we did not collect
wargi, except as a Municipal house-tax, we continued to tax flour mills which in
most cases use water paid for by the Government or the public.
Badal Tariq.^TiiQ Turks also collected badal tariq, a poll tax nominally
imposed at a majidi a head on all adults for the upkeep of the roads. The Turks
found it difficult, and in the case of the tribes, impossible to collect. This tax also we
ignored.
Grazing Tax Kodak.—Tha Turks had collected the Kodah for this year in some
cases at much increased rates and in kind, and in other cases they had not been able
to collect it. We found it possible to collect the balance, Rs. 3,958/8/-. The Kodah
was levied here as elsewhere at 4 piastres per head of sheep under three years and
5 piastres per head over three years. Buffaloes, camels, cattle were taxed at 10 q s
per head. ’
The main kodah payers of the district are the Jaf tribe. The numbers of the
Jaf sheep were never estimated, hut a rough lump sum was assessed on every head
of section and a force of about 200 troops was sent annually to the passes at Baneh,
Khailan Khan, Gauiah Q,al ah, &c., to intercept their passage north and extract the
kodah from them. This year the Lurks tried the same methods to prevent the ingress
of the Jafs to our territory.
Intoxicants: ‘Araq. The people of Tuz Khurmatu, both Muslims and Jews,
are great consumers of ‘Araq. In Kifri and Qarah Tappah it is drunk, as in other
places, by the Jews mostly.
The monopoly of distilling and selling was farmed separately, one at Tuz
Khurmatu, one at Kifri and Qarah Tappah.
The Tuz farm made in the time of the Turks was not yet closed. It was
contracted in February 1917, for two years ending February 28th, 1919, for
piastres 21,100, payable in notes. Of this we have collected Rs. 312/12/-’
The Kifri auction of the farm for live months ending December 31st reached
Rs. 500. This has been collected. New auctions were put up for 1919.
Public Debt: Salt. —There are large salt pans at Tuz Khurmatu. They had
previously been farmed for £T1,100 per annum. When Kifri was occupied the
town was without salt except for a small quantity in the Public Debt godown. In
contrast with the position in ‘Iraq, the situation of the salt pans at Tuz, and the
absence of salt in the district generally, made the continuance of the farm system
practicable, and the monopoly right to dig and sell salt at Tuz has been farmed
for eight months for Rs. 11,000, one of the conditions being that Kifri shall be
adequately supplied. A maximum price of As. 1/6 per kilo for salt sold in the town
of Tuz has been fixed.
As elsewhere, economy in the collection of taxes allocated to the Public Debt
has been effected by entrusting the work to the ordinary Revenue staff, and the
Public Debt has ceased to exist as an independent organisation.
llegie —Has ceased to exist at Kifri.
Customs.—Sto customs house was ever, during our occupation, established at
Kifri. A customs mamur and clerk, however, were employed up to the second
occupation of Kirkuk, with duties of forwarding tobacco to Baghdad on duty
payable passes, and collecting the customs dues on small consignments intended for
local consumption. After the armistice and the new Regulations, a Preventive
Mamur and a small staff of Preventive Police carried on these duties.
Sulaimaniyah tobacco is rarely taken to Altun Keupri for downward transport,
Kifri in ordinary times is on the direct route. Owing to the failure of supplies
at Ibrahim Khanzi and at Kurpachineh, the route has moved to the route via
Chamchamai and Tauq.
Compensation. —Owing to the splendid discipline of the troops occupying this
area there has been little need for compensation. A little damage Was done to early
said crops during the first days of the occupation, but a Court of Assessment was
promptly held and damages awarded. The town of Kifri was almost completely
occupied for billets during the hot weather. The owners of the houses received the
rent assessed by the Municipality. The town as a whole was more than compensated