'Mesopotamia. Administrative Record during British Occupation' [‎64r] (4/8)

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to function, its revenues have been collected and in many cases exmnrUl
separate accounts carefully kept. expanded, and
av) , tlle advance from Kut civil justice was administered by a Court in
wlncli m cm matters applied regulations based on Indian law or
personal law of the litigants, and in revenue and fiscal ma' i ^
Ottoman code des terres Crimes were dealt wi h followed the
governors or political officers ; and in tribal cases a regnlatkni teseTon ^Indhn
Sr a 7tt at " n pr cZn ^ anC r a --ttr^mall ^r
followed in 10IS } v r f p ® S court were 0 Pened in 1917;
vMln f rul i } Courts i of First Instance and a Court of Appeal In this
vilayet Ottoman law was applied from the first, and steps have since been taken
to assimilate the legal system of Basra to that of Baghdad Anh imlar^ '
mated with tbeir British colleagues m all the' Meiplmiaf til cfurte Xt
dency of antrab judge ^ thrOU « hout bee " P 1 ^ the sole presi:
stand,ud aie available. Of 80 ex-Turkish schoolmasters who applied for posts at
Baghdad only five were found suitable. A training school for Lrhers was also
TW W vn < S uallGed teachers are being recruited for Government schools
here are now 20 missionary schools in receipt of grants in aid A school f^
onT«0 (l Tr') le ofriolaIs) ? n d surveyors was established at Baghdad, and turned
out 80 qualified surveyors in its first year of existence. A self-supwrtinL iom
memal school is proving most popular. The Boy Scouts movement has been
started, and promises success.
(vi) .U«2ica?—Three towns have a whole-time Civil Surgeon; others part-time men
but a"!) 0 ! dm 5 0 C V ' IlS | 1S i reg r ed ' I - rogr I e8s has been tampered by lack of staff^
a I .A.D.MS., Civil has been appointed, and a scheme for the provision of 34
hospitals is under consideration. piuvibion or ^
(vii) fMl Post Offlees.—There are 14 Civil Post Offices open, 11 more sanctioned for
which recruitment is proceeding, ami a further 22 under consideration.
(vin) Mihtia. Patrol and guard duties on roads, rivers and railways, and at Government
stmes, where troops are not available, are performed by the Arab militia
(Shahanah), raised, trained, and commanded by British officers. They assist when*
arresTof^evi'l doers'' 6 Colleotion ' in tlle su PPression of tribal disturbance, and the
(IX) Government Press.—There are Government presses both at Basra and Bashdad
31 PfPf 1 ' 8 alld two English daily papers, apart from pamphlets, official
publications, and the Monthly Gazette are published.
(x) Surveys.-—A commencement was made with the training of staff on the first
occupation ol Baghdad. Mr. Glass, of tlie Survey of India, has laid out several
rectangles, and it is hoped to avoid the multiplication of departmental surveyors
which obtains m India, by forming a survey department to fix points within
which cadastral surveys sufficient for all purposes can be completed by a less
highly trained staff.
(xi) Archaiology. -Precautions have been taken to preserve sites and maintain Govern
ment rights m antiques discovered. Under the auspices of experts certain works
0 researc. ). have ])een undertaken. Mosques and other historical relics, neglected
or damaged under 1 urkish rule, have been repaired and restored. Every care has
been taken to prevent antic|uities leaving the country.
(xii) Finance.—-Vv hile active operations continued the more important services were
necessarily of a military character, and their cost was borne by military funds.
1 he accounts of the civil administration were able to show a'profit, and the
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Commissioner s budget for the current year, of which we have received only a
brief telegraphic summary, shows a deficit of 42^,000Z.; but it is to be noted that
of the total estimated expenditure (3,330,OOW.) a sum of 753,000?. is entered on
account of public works and irrigation, a considerable proportion of which iy
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