"تقارير إدارة أقسام ومناطق الأراضي المحتلة في بلاد الرافدين لسنة ١٩١٨. المجلد I" [و‎‎٥‎٥] (٤٧٠/١١٤)

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of the district. All important tribal Shaikhs have their private houses here and
the Government buildings are of a nature to impress the people.
These consist of three large khans, well repaired and clean. The Irrigation
Department occupy one of these khans. The other two are taken by the Political
Department, holding all the offices necessary for administration, a properly organised
prison and Shabanah barracks.
It is unfortunate that the Najaf water supply run through this place and,
therefore, the water is contaminated; but this is unavoidable.
At present Irrigation, Local Resources, and the I.W.T. all have their offices here.
The estimated monthly revenue and expenditure last year was about Rs. 1,500/-.
The receipts, however, have exceeded this. The imposition of the house and
wharfage tax and close control will, however, swell receipts and next year over
Rs. 30,000/- is expected, or an increase of over Rs. 1,000/- per mensem on last year’s
average. The first step towards improvement which the municipality can now
afford will be the acquisition of a paid Rais Baladiyah, if possible a Kurd. The
Zuwaini influence is pernicious to a degree. Some of the surplus income will go
as a contribution towards the new road, which will benefit others besides the
inhabitants of Ja‘arah. The remainder will be fully taken up in necessary sanitary
works.
Umm al Ba‘rur .—Umm al BaTur lies on the left bank of the Shamiyah Channel,
almost due west of Diwaniyah, to which a main road is in course of construction,
and east of Abu Sukhair on the Kufah Channel. Its original site was a mile or so
upstream and slightly inland. From this spot the town was moved by order of
Sultan Abdul Hamid owing to the unhealthiness of the site, rebuilt on the present
site and given the name of Hamidiyah. It was well planned, on the same model,
so it is said, as Kut.
A municipality of a type existed here till the beginning of August 1918, but
supervision was almost impossible owing to the lack of staff and urgency of more
important work. From August 1st this town, which has some 5,000 inhabitants
exclusive of the garden population surrounding it, was made the headquarters of
the Deputy Assistant Political Officer, Eastern Shamiyah Subdivision. The
municipality was reorganised and improvements put in hand at once.
In July 1918 its condition was almost as bad as it would be possible to imagine.
There was a fine bazaar, but it was filthy. All the roads, except one, consisted of
ditches or canals filled with stagnant water, there were a large number of depressions
filled with water, and the river was eating away the river front with appalling
rapidity and threatening to destroy every house on it at the next flood.
To-day the town is entirely unrecognisable. New roads have been opened,
all ditches and depressions filled up, the river bank repaired, the markets organised,
a full municipal staff engaged, and the whole show get running as a self-contained,
self-supporting and successful enterprise. The credit of this is due to the energy
of the D.A.P.O. Jad Ghawi Effendi, of the Honorary Rais Baladiyah Hasan Effendi,
and, above all, to the whole-hearted cooperation and energy of the people
OXYl S ol V O S
As regards practical and non- spectacular results, the markets are crowded, the
price of the foodstuffs low, trade booming, building going on (there will be a
tremendous impetus to this after the winter, when brick contractois will establish
kilns) and the price of house property is now actually five times what it was in July,
and at that owners are refusing to sell.
Roads. No less than nine new roads have been opened and the ditches filled
in. None are less than 20 feet wide, straight, and passable for motors. Arrangements
are being made to plant avenues of willows in necessary places. This woik v as
done almost entirely by the people themselves.
River Front. This has been and is being repaired with stakes, berdi and earth.
In a few days time it will be passable for a motor from end to end. There is no
doubt that directly brick contractors come down the people will ask to build a
brick wall as in Kufah. Steps and landing stages are being built at the entrance of
every street.
Bazaars and Markets .—These are broad, well laid out and zinc-roofed. To the
east, where the new road has been opened out, they aie already extending.
The greatest order and cleanliness prevails. The butchers, vegetable sellers,
&c., are all grouped into special quarters. There is also a special khan (marked
with an X) in which the country people bring milk and buttei for sale evei \