The complete Budget allotment for the P.W.D. during 1921-22 amounted to Rs. 66,80,000, and besides this a considerable amount of work for excluded funds was carried out. The main new works either completed or were: The Government Press, Baghdad. The Chief Engineer's Offices, Baghdad. Rustam Institute, Baghdad. Houses in Alwiyah, Baghdad. Water Supply, Mosul. Water Supply, Arbil. Electric Lighting, Kirkuk. undertaken during the year Irrigation A large amount of work has been carried out in the repair and maintenance of buildings and roads and bridges. Bridges in particular are at present in a very bad state of repair and much work must be carried out on them in the future. Plans have also been prepared and the preliminary arrangements made for the erection of a University College in Baghdad. His Majesty King Faisal has shown great interest in this scheme and was responsible for its inspiration. A water supply scheme has also been prepared for the city of Basrah and it is hoped that this work will be put in hand during next year. The Irrigation Department on 31st December, 1920, consisted of eight Divisions or Districts for maintenance and construction. water control and river conservancy, and one Special Project District for the investigation and surveys of new canals. Owing to financial reasons it was decided to curtail the responsibilities and scope of the Department and accordingly it was reorganised on the 31st March, 1921, and reduced to three executive districts known as: (1). Baghdad District (2). 'Amarah District. (3). Euphrates Division. (comprising of the old districts of Baghdad, Diyala and Kut.) (covering the whole Euphrates formerly the Falujah, Hindiyah, Hillah and Nasiriyah Districts.) At the same time the Special Project District, renamed the Survey District, was doubled in size for the more rapid completion of the surveys for new Projects. With the curtailment of the responsibilities of the Irrigation Department it ceased to exercise any control over the water distribution of canals, the maintenance of canals and the maintenance and construction of bunds on the Euphrates. As far as the above works were concerned the Department became purely advisory. The only works for which the Department retained responsibility were the construction and maintenance of all masonry heads, the construction and maintenance of river conservancy works and the complete control of the Hindiyah Barrage. In June, 1921, urgent requests were made by the cultivators in the outside districts for the renewal of Irrigation control but due to the reduced establishment under the new organisation these requests could not be entertained. In July, 1921, the Saqlawiyah Construction and the Yusufiyah SubDivisions were formed to carry out the unforeseen works in connection with the construction of the Saqlawiyah Canal and the remodelling of the Yusufiyah Canal. The Basrah Independent Sub-Division was formed in August, 1921, as. a purely advisory Sub-Division. 9 The Budget allotment for 1921-22 was Rs. 36,00,000, plus Rs. 4,00,000. The latter amount for the Saqlawiyah Canal. Due to the lack of trained subordinate staff and the non-arrival of machinery for the Hindiyah Barrage all works contemplated could not be carried out with the result of an ultimate saving of approximately Rs. 6,00,000, The principal works carried out by the Department during the year were:(1). Extension and remodelling of the old Saqlawiyah Canal to irrigate a further 88,000 acres. (2). Remodelling of the Yusufiyah Canal to increase its command from 60, 000 to 125,000 acres. (3). Construction of a new Masonry Head and Head Reach to the Nahr (4). Construction of 7,000 square metres of Decauville Revetment for (8). The survey of approximately 3,000 square kilometres of land for (9). The maintenance of many masonry canal heads. (10). In addition a large number of scattered small irrigation schemes were examined and the Liwa authorities addressed as to the action which should be taken. This Department embraces the former separate branches of Posts and Posts and Telegraphs Telegraphs under Military control. The policy pursued by the Department Department. for the year under review was one of reconstruction and the main objects in view were to increase the number of 'Iraqis employed, to provide efficient Telegraph and Postal communications for the British Military Forces in 'Iraq and to bring the Telegraph and Postal Services into line with other countries. The Iraqis now employed represent 80 per cent. of the Department's establishment. In connection with telegraphic services a considerable amount of reconstructional work has been carried out. chiefly necessitated by the damage done during the disturbances of 1920. During the year the Postal Department was called upon to place its external business in conformity with the regulations of the Postal Union and its system in all branches was revised. The internal services were also considerably modified to come into line with the normal system of conducting postal business, as opposed to the system in operation during the period the Military Postal Services existed. During the year Money Order and Parcel agreements were entered into with the United Kingdom for direct exchange of Money Orders and Parcels with the United Kingdom and through her intermediary for places in Europe and America. Money Order and Parcel agreements were also entered into with India for direct exchange with her and through her intermediary for places in Africa, Australia and Asia. The postal fees and rates both inland and foreign were revised and the foreign Telegraphic Money Order and V.P. systems were discontinued from 1st August, 1921. The introduction of a fortnightly aerial mail service between Baghdad and Cairo was effected on 15th August, 1921. The general appreciation for this service is shown by a comparison of despatches. The first despatch consisted of 32 letters whereas the average despatch to-day amounts to approximately 3,800 letters. To give actual figures for expenditure and receipts is impossible within so short a space of time and the details as given in the attached are based on 9 months actual. New works begun during the year are: 1. The Wireless Telegraphic Station, Basrah. Work on this station commenced in November, 1921, and the completion is expected in June, 1922. This installation with a wave light of 2,000 metres and a range of 1,000 miles will put 'Iraq in direct communications with India, Cairo and Constantinople. 2. The Automatic Telephone System, Basrah. Work on this most up-to-date installation commenced in September, 1921, and its completion is expected in July, 1922. In connection with this installation three exchange buildings have been built at various points in the Basrah District, and the installation of exchange instruments and phones is progressing favourably. Damage done during the disturbances in 1920 necessitated a considerable amount of repairs to telegraph lines and the work done in many cases, classified as "Reconstructional Work", almost amounted to the rebuilding of lines. (1). Hillah to Diwaniyah: line covering a distance of 70 miles reconstructed on existing poles at a cost of £ 554. (2). Kifl to Kufah, a distance of 13 miles were linked up with a complete new line at a cost of £ 831. This line was laid in place of the original which was completely demolished. (3). In the Arbil-Ba'quba District reconstructional work was carried out to a cost of £ 770. (4). At a cost of £2,020, Telegraph lines from Ur Junction to Diwaniyah and from Samawah to Diwaniyah were reconstructed and maintained. These lines cover 117 miles and 55 miles respectively. In connection with the Telephone system of Baghdad, new lines totalling 27 miles have been laid at a total cost of £ 1,094. The cost of maintenance of Telegraph and Telephone systems are as under : Survey Local Conditions Capital Works. Telegraph-Included in £ 2,020 for recon structional work and maintenance. Para. 4 above. This Department which is the civil successor to the Military Survey Department was organized on a very much smaller scale in January, 1921. As this Department is merely a reproducing Department little can be said with regard to its history other than a brief description of the work executed. The Budget allotment for 1921-22 was Rs. 2,58,675 including Rs. 46,675 allotted from Imperial Funds. A survey of the oil areas at Naft Khanah and Chia Surkh was commenced in December, 1921, the expenditure of which was borne by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, Limited. During the year large scale surveys have been made of the Baghdad Cemetery, Dairy Farms and Residency, besides surveys for Military in the vicinity of Kut, Rumaithah, Quraitu and Mosul. The compilation and fair drawing of 31 Standard Maps of 'Iraq and the preparation of 35 large scale and miscellaneous maps and diagrams have been completed. The following have been executed by the Photo-Zincographic and Printing Section: 290 Negatives prepared by wet plate process. 500 Aclo-Zincographic plates prepared. 252 Maps dealt with in combined Photo-Zincographic and Vandyke Requisitions in small quantities for 69,567 maps have been dealt with during the year. The reproduction of " T.C.Maps in Arabic commenced in January, 1922. Up to the end of March, 1922, no copies were available for issue. Proofs only had been submitted. 'IRAQ RAILWAYS. The beginning of the financial year synchronised with the re-opening of the through route between Basrah and Baghdad. The reconstruction of the line destroyed by the insurgents in 1920 was sufficiently advanced to permit trains to resume running. During the early months of the year the Army in 'Iraq was being reduced, and the Railway was called upon to carry great numbers of troops and great quantities of materials to the Base. This work was successfully carried out, but to do so a large staff and equipment had to be maintained and when the evacuation was completed there was much re-arrangement and reduction of staff to be done in order to provide for normal conditions and civil traffic. The programme of capital works for the year was based on the cash grant recommended by Cairo Conference, and work was planned and staff arranged to spend this amount; the capital grant was subsequently reduced by His Majesty's Government and a large imported staff had to be dispensed with. Unfortunately the evacuation of the army at that time required all the steamer accommodation available and the surplus staff could not be repatriated for some time, and the cost of their pay and rationing automatically became a charge against the Revenue Budget. |