SOMETHING ABOUT TAXATION.
The monastery gardens of Trooditissa at the close of July exhibited the
great fruit-producing power of the soil and climate at this high
altitude, but at the same time they were examples of the arbitrary and
vexatious system of Turkish taxation, which remains unchanged and is
still enforced by the British authorities. I shall describe this in
detail, and leave the question of possibility of development under such
wholesale tyranny to the judgment of the public. It is difficult to
conceive how any persons can expect that Europeans, especially
Englishmen, will become landowners and settle in Cyprus when subjected
to such unfair and irritating restrictions.
NO PRODUCE CAN BE REMOVED FROM ANY GARDEN UNTIL IT SHALL HAVE BEEN
VALUED FOR TAXATION BY THE GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL APPOINTED FOR THAT
PURPOSE, at the rate of 10 per cent. ad valorem.
At first sight this system appears incredible, but upon an examination
of the details our wonder ceases at the general absence of cultivated
vegetables and the propagation of superior qualities of fruits. If the
object of the government were purposely to repress all horticultural
enterprise, and to drive the inhabitants to the Nebuchadnezzar-like
grazing upon wild herbs, the present system would assuredly accomplish
the baneful end. The Cypriotes are called indolent, and are blamed by
travellers for their apathy in contenting themselves with wild
vegetables, when their soil is eminently adapted in the varying
altitudes and climates for the production of the finest qualities of
fruits and green-stuffs. I will imagine that an Englishman of any class
may be placed in the following position of a cultivator, which he
assuredly would be, if foolish enough to become a proprietor in Cyprus.
I am at this moment looking down from the shade of the great walnut-tree
upon the terraced gardens and orchards beneath, which are rich in
potatoes of excellent quality, onions, beet-root, &c.; together with
walnuts, pears, apples, plums, filberts, figs, and mulberries. The pears
and plums are of several varieties, some will ripen late, others are now
fit to gather, but nothing can be touched until the valuer shall arrive;
he is expected in ten days; by which time many of the plums will have
fallen to the ground, and the swarming rats will have eaten half the
pears. The shepherds' children and the various monastery boys live in
the boughs like monkeys, and devour the fruit ripe or unripe, from
morning till evening, with extraordinary impunity; women who arrive from
the low country with children to be christened place them upon the
ground, and climb the pear-trees; neither colic nor cholera is known in
this sanctified locality. The natives of the low country who arrive at
the monastery daily with their laden mules from villages upon the other
side of the mountains, en route to Limasol, immediately ascend the
attractive trees and feast upon the plums; at the same time they fill
their handkerchiefs and pockets with pears, &c., as food during their
return journey. "There will not be much trouble for the valuer when he
arrives," I remarked to the monks, "if you allow such wholesale robbery
of your orchards."
"On the contrary," they replied, "the difficulty will be increased; we
never sell the produce of the gardens, which is kept for the support of
all those who visit us, but we have much trouble with the valuation of
the fruits for taxation. It is hard that we shall have to pay for what
the public consume at our expense, but it will be thus arranged. . . .
The valuer will arrive, and he will find some trees laden with unripe
fruit, others that have been stripped by plunder; the potatoes, &c.,
will be still in the ground. We shall have a person to represent our
interests in the valuation as a check upon the official; but in the end
he will have his own way. We shall explain that certain trees are naked,
as the fruit became ripe and was stolen by the boys. 'Then you ought to
have taken more care of it,' he will reply; `how many okes of plums were
there upon those trees?' We shall have to guess the amount. `Nonsense!'
he will exclaim to whatever figure we may mention, 'there must have been
double that quantity: I shall write down 1500 (if we declared 1000),
which will split the difference.' ("Splitting the difference" is the
usual method of arranging an Oriental dispute, as instanced by Solomon's
well-known suggestion of dividing the baby.).
"We shall protest," continued the monks, "and this kind of inquisitorial
haggling will take place concerning every tree, until the valuer shall
have concluded his labour, and about one-third more than the actual
produce of the orchards will have been booked against us; upon which we
must pay a tax of 10 per cent., at the same time that the risks of
insects, rats, and the expenses of gathering remain to the debit of the
garden. In fact," said the poor old monks, "our produce is a trouble to
us, as personally we derive no benefit; the public eat the fruit, and
the government eats the taxes."
There were curious distinctions and exceptions in this arbitrary form of
taxation: if a fruit-tree grew within the monastery courtyard it was
exempt; thus the great walnut-tree beneath which we camped was free. It
was really cheering to find that we were living under some object that
was not taxed in Cyprus; but the monk continued, and somewhat dispelled
the illusion . . . "This tree produced in one year 20,000 walnuts, and
it averages from 12,000 to 15,000; but when the crops of our other trees
are estimated, the official valuer always insists upon a false maximum,
so as to include the crop of the courtyard walnut in the total amount
for taxation."
The potatoes, like all other horticultural productions, are valued while
growing, and the same system of extravagant estimate is pursued.
This system is a blight of the gravest character upon the local industry
of the inhabitants, and it is a suicidal and unstatesmanlike policy that
crushes and extinguishes all enterprise. What Englishman would submit to
such a prying and humiliating position? And still it is expected that
the resources of the island will be developed by British capital! The
great want for the supply of the principal towns is market-gardens.
Imagine an English practical market-gardener, fresh from the ten-mile
radius of Covent Garden, where despatch and promptitude mean fortune and
success: he could not cut his cauliflowers in Cyprus until his crop of
unblown plants had been valued by an official and while he might be
waiting for this well-hated spirit of evil, his cauliflower-heads would
have expanded into coral-like projections and have become utterly
valueless except for pig-feeding. I cannot conceive a more extravagant
instance of oppression than this system of taxation, which throws
enormous powers of extortion into the hands of the official valuer. This
person can oppose by delays and superlative estimates the vital
interests of the proprietors; if the property is large, the owner will
be only too glad to silence his opposition by a considerable bribe; the
poor must alike contribute, or submit to be the victim of delays which,
with perishable articles such as vegetables, represent his ruin. Is it
surprising that the villages of the desolate plain of Messaria are for
the most part devoid of fruit-trees? We are preaching to the Cypriotes
the advantage of planting around their dwellings, as though they were
such idiots as to be ignorant that "he who sows the wind will reap the
whirlwind." If they plant fruit-trees under the present laws they are
planting curses which will entail the misery of inquisitorial visits and
the most objectionable and oppressive form of an unjust taxation. As the
law at present stands, the amount of fruit is ridiculously small, and
the quality inferior, while cultivated vegetables are difficult to
obtain. Can any other result be expected under the paralysing effect of
Turkish laws? which unfortunately British officials have the
questionable honour of administering.
I have heard officials condemn in the strongest terms the laws they are
obliged to enforce. There are few persons who are obtuse to the sense of
injustice, but at the same time the suggestion has been expressed that
an extreme difficulty would be experienced should the taxes be collected
in any other form than dimes. I cannot see the slightest truth in this
disclaimer of responsibility for Turkish evils, and I believe the
present difficulty might be overcome with little trouble by a system of
rating the land ad valorem.
The soil and general value of properties in Cyprus vary as in England
and other countries according to quality and position. There is land
contiguous to market towns of much higher value than the same quality of
soil in remote districts; there are farms supplied with water either
naturally or artificially, which are far more valuable than others which
are dependent upon favourable seasons. Land which formerly produced
madder was of extreme value, and should have been adjudged accordingly;
but why should not all properties of every description throughout Cyprus
be rated and taxed in due proportion? The valuation should be arranged
by local councils. The vineyards which produced the expensive wines
should be rated higher than those of inferior quality. Gardens should be
rated according to their distance from a market; fields in proportion to
their water-supply and the quality of the soil. The Cypriotes do not
complain of the amount of 10 per cent. taxation under the name of dimes,
but they naturally object to the arbitrary and vexatious system of
inquisitorial visits, together with the delays and loss of time
occasioned by the old Turkish system. "Rate us, and let us know the
limit of our responsibility"--that is the natural desire of the
inhabitants. If the industries of the country are to be developed they
must be unfettered; but if weighed down by restrictions and vexatious
interference, they will hardly discover the benefit of a change to
British masters.
Some people in Cyprus make use of an argument in favour of the present
system of dimes or collecting in kind by tenths, which does not commend
itself by logical reasoning. They say, "if you rate the land ad valorem,
and establish a monetary payment of 10 per cent., you will simply burden
the poor land-holder with debt during a season of drought, when his
property will produce nothing. According to the present system he and
the government alike share the risk of seasons; if the land produces
nothing, there can be no dimes." It does not appear to have occurred to
these reasoners that in such seasons of scarcity the taxation could be
easily reduced as a temporary measure of relief according to the
valuation of the local medjlis or council; but I claim the necessity of
artificial irrigation that will secure the land from such meteorological
disasters, and will enable both the cultivator and the government to
calculate upon a dependable average of crops, instead of existing upon
the fluctuations of variable seasons.
The district of Larnaca will offer a fair example of the usual methods
of taxation, and as the figures have been most kindly supplied by the
authorities of the division, they can be thoroughly relied upon.
The revenues of the district (Larnaca) are derived from the following
sources:--
1. Dimes (i.e. tenths of the produce)--in some instances may
be paid in kind.
2. Property Tax--4 piastres per 1000 upon the value of
immovable property, such as buildings, land, trees;
this is classed as 1st class Verghi.
3. Charge upon Income derived from Rents--40 piastres
per 1000; classed as 2nd class Verghi.
4. Charge on Trade Profits--30 piastres per 1000; 3rd class
Verghi.
5. Exemption from Military Service--this tax levied upon
Christians only, at the rate of 5000 piastres for 180 males.
6. Duty upon Sale of Horses, Mules, Donkeys, Camels, and
Cattle--1 piastre in every 40 upon price; also tax on goods
weighed by public measurer.
7. Tax on Flocks of Sheep and Goats--2.5 piastres per head.
This is not levied until the animal shall be one year old.
In 1877 the amount received was--
Piastres. Paras.
1. Dimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 822,000
2. Property Tax. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221,897 24
3. Rent Charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,089 32
4. Tax on Trade-Profits . . . . . . . . . . . 65,340 20
5. Military Exemption. . . . . . . . . . . . . 153,333 25
6. Sales of Animals, Measures, &c. . . . . . . 450,000
7. Sheep and Goats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200,000
_______ ___
1,932,659 101
The return of sheep and goats in the district of Larnaca during
the year 1878, and comprising 36 villages, was rendered as 47,841.
The following taxes are payable by inhabitants of
Scala and the neighbourhood:--
JANUARY, 1879.
1. The tithe of agricultural produce, including silk, payable in
some cases in kind, in others in money.
2. Tax in lieu of military service, 5000 copper piastres for 180
Christian males.
3. Verghi (a), 4 per 1000 on the purchasing value of houses,
land, or immovable property.
4. Verghi (b), 4 per cent. on the rent of immovable property, or
houses not occupied by their owners.
5. Verghi (c), 3 per cent. on profits and professions.
6. Tax on sheep, 2.5 silver piastres each.
7. Tax on goats, 2 silver piastres each.
8. Tax on pigs, 3 silver piastres each.
9. Tax on wood and charcoal. Wood for carpenters' uses pays
20 per cent. on the value at the place of production, and a
further 5 per cent. on the amount of the tax on coming into
the town.
Firewood pays 12 per cent. on the value at the place of
production, and a further 5 per cent. as above.
Charcoal pays 2 piastres per 100 okes.
10. Tax on goods weighed, one half para per oke. (In the case of
wood and charcoal, hay, chopped straw, lime, and onions,
the tax begins at a weight of 50 okes, and at a rate of 5
paras for 50 okes.)
11. Tax on grain measured, 2 paras per kilo paid by the buyer,
and 2 paras per kilo paid by the seller. If measured for the
sole convenience of the owner, 2 paras per kilo.
12. Octroi. Every load brought from the villages to the town pays
a tax of one oke per load, or in money, according to the
market rate of the goods.
13. Tax on the sale of mules, horses, donkeys, oxen, and
camels in the town, 1 para per piastre of the price.
14. Property tax (municipal) paid by owners:--
On houses let to tenants, 5 per cent. per annum.
On houses inhabited by the owners, 3 per cent. per annum.
15. Tax on camels (M.) 2 shillings each per annum.
16. Tax on carts (M.) belonging to and working in Larnaca and
Marina townships, 1*. each per annum.
17. Corvee. Forced labour on roads four days a year.
18. Shop licences (M.) in classes, 10*, 5*., 2*., 1*., 10 shillings.
19. Wine licences (C.H.) in classes, 25 per cent., 12.5 per cent.,
6.25 per cent. on rental.
20. Licences to merchants, bankers, &c., (M.) in classes, 10*.,
5*., 2*., 1*.
21. Monopolies. Salt, gunpowder.
22. Custom House duties 8 per cent. on imports, 1 per cent.
exports.
Custom House duty on wine, 10 per cent.
Custom House duty on imported tobacco, 75 per cent;
on home grown, or imported unmanufactured,
10 pence a pound.
23. Stamps, transfer and succession duties. Mubashine. Voted
to remain in force until March 1st, 1879.
[Transcriber's Note: Omitted table of villages on page 388
which was hard to read.]
There are other taxes according to the laws of
succession upon the death of an individual which I
give in the same words as furnished to me by the
authority:--
Memorandum of the Defter Hakkani about the Transfer in Succesion of
Property.
When a man dies his properties must be duly transferred to his heirs,
who must apply to the authorities within six months, in order to have
the transfer made.
The transfer is made by giving a new Kotshan (Title), to the heirs in
exchange for the Kotshan of the deceased.
The right to the inheritance is stated by the laws as follows:--
1st, To the son or daughter; in want of which,
2nd, to the grandson and granddaughter; in want of which,
3rd, to the father and mother; in want of which,
4th, to the brother from the same father and mother; in want of which,
5th, to the sister from the same father and mother; in want of which,
6th, to the brother from the same mother; and in want of which,
7th, to the sister from the same mother.
The grandson and the granddaughter from right to the inheritance of the
share belonging to their father, who may have died before the death of
their grandfather; they inherit together with their uncles and aunts as
another direct son or daughter of the grandfather.
In all above stated degrees of inheritance, except in the 1st and 2nd,
the husband or wife has right to the fourth share of the land left by
the husband or wife.
This is for property in land (Arazi).
As to the freehold property (Emlak), the male inhabitants two-thirds and
the female one-third; but it is very difficult to enumerate the various
shades of division which are always made by the cadis according to the
Cheni law; there is no Nizam law in this respect.
All system of endorsment on Kotshan is abolished.
The duty on transfer in succession of a freehold property is half the
fees on transfer by sale.
In transferring by sale the fees are 1 per cent. on the value, if this
freehold property is a real one (Emlaki Serfi); and 3 per cent. if it is
vacouf freehold property (Emlak Meocoofi). Besides this 3 piastres as
price of paper, and 1 piastre as clerks' fees (Riataki) are paid for
every new Kotshan.
The lands (Arazi) pay 5 per cent. indifferently on transfer by sale and
on transfer by succession.
The custom is to value lands at one year's rental, or value of products.
If a house is occupied by the owner no tax on rental is demanded; the
only tax demanded in that case being that on the proportionate value.
The proportionate values of real properties are not assessed for a fixed
period. Therefore the value, once assessed, can remain the same for many
years, or it can be altered in the annual inspections of the Vakouat
Riatibs according to an increase or decrease of value that may take
place on account of repairs, a general rise of value, or partial or
entire destruction by fire, rain, &c.
The poverty of the agricultural classes was so generally acknowledged
even by the Turkish administration that it was absolutely necessary to
relieve them by some external assistance; it was therefore resolved in
1869 to create an "Agricultural Bank and a Locust Fund;" the principles
of this establishment are sufficiently original to attract attention.
In 1871 the Turkish government issued a decree that all cultivators of
the ground should pay to the authorities a sum of money equal to the
price of one kilo of wheat and one of barley for every pair of oxen in
their possession, in order to create a capital for the new bank. The
number of oxen would represent the scale of every holding, as they would
exhibit the proportion of ploughs required upon the farm, and thus yield
an approximate estimate of the area.
This arbitrary call upon the resources of the impoverished farmers was
an eccentric financial operation in the ostensible cause of assistance,
but it produced a capital of 169,028 piastres. The rate of interest upon
loans to individuals, or for particular districts, for the purpose of
destroying locusts was 8 per cent. previous to the year 1875, and was
increased to 12 per cent. since that period. Receipts for all sums
borrowed for the public benefit of locust destruction were signed by the
head-men and members of councils of villages.
At first sight the establishment of an agricultural bank sounded
propitious as a step in the right direction, but, according to the
conditions of all loans, it became usurious, and saddled the unfortunate
farmers after a few bad seasons with debts that could never be paid off.
If X borrowed 1000 pounds, he received only 880 pounds, as the year's
interest was deducted in advance, but he was afterwards charged compound
interest at 12 per cent. upon the whole 1000 pounds. Compound interest
at 12 per cent. means speedy ruin.
Upon an examination of the accounts, the whole affair represents
apparently large figures in piastres, which when reduced to pounds
sterling presents a miserable total that proves the failure of the
enterprise. As I have already stated, a "bank" could not succeed in
Cyprus if it were established specially to benefit the agriculturist;
money can always command 10 per cent., while the farmer should obtain
the loans necessary for irrigation at a maximum of 6 per cent. if he is
really to be encouraged. This can only be accomplished through a
Government or National Bank, expressly organised for the purpose of
developing the agricultural interests. As the government can obtain any
amount at 4 per cent., the National Bank could well afford to lend at 6,
especially as the loan would be secured by a first mortgage, to take
precedence of all other claims upon the property.
The "Locust Fund" was an admirable institution which has achieved great
results. There can be little doubt that throughout the world's history
man has exhibited a lamentable apathy in his passive submission to the
depredations of the insect tribe, whereas by a system of organisation he
would at the least have mitigated the scourge which has in many
instances resulted in absolute famine. At one time the plague of locusts
was annually expected in Cyprus as a natural advent like the arrival of
swallows in the usual season, and when the swarms were extreme the crops
were devoured throughout the island, and swept completely from the
surface, entailing general ruin. The cultivation of cotton, which should
be one of the most important industries, has been much restricted from
the fear of locusts, as they appear in May, when the tender young plants
are a few inches above the ground and are the first objects of attack.
It is related that when under the Venetians, Cyprus annually exported
30,000 bales or 6,600,000 lbs. of cotton. In 1877 the consular reports
estimated the entire produce of the island at 2000 bales of 200 okes per
bale, or 1,100,000 lbs., equal to only one-sixth of the original
Venetian export.
The steps taken to destroy the locusts have so far diminished their
numbers that in certain districts the production of cotton might be
largely extended. M. Mattei, and Said Pacha when governor of Cyprus,
combined to make war upon the locust swarms by means of a simple but
effective method, which will render their names historical as the
greatest benefactors in an island that has seldom known aught but
oppressors.
The idea originated with Signor Richard Mattei, who is the largest
landed proprietor in Cyprus. It is much to be regretted that
professional entomologists can seldom assist us in the eradication of
insect plagues; they can explain their habits, but they are useless as
allies against their attacks. M. Mattei had observed that the young
locusts invariably marched straight ahead, and turned neither to the
right or left; he had also remarked that upon arrival at an obstacle
they would endeavour to climb over, instead of going round it. Under
these peculiarities of natural instinct a very simple arrangement
sufficed to lead them to destruction. Pits were dug about three or four
feet deep at right angles with the line of march, and screens of cotton
cloth edged at the bottom with oil-skin were arranged something after
the fashion of stop-nets for ground game in covert-shooting in England.
This wall, with a slippery groundwork, prevented the insects from
proceeding. As they never turn back, they were obliged to search
sideways for a passage, and were thus led into the pits in millions,
where they were destroyed by burying the masses beneath heaps of earth.
If a few gallons of petroleum were sprinkled over them, and fire
applied, much trouble would be saved. This is a crude method of insect
destruction which could be improved upon, but great praise is due to the
efforts of M. Richard Mattei and Said Pacha for having devoted their
energies so successfully to the eradication of a scourge which proved
its ancient importance from the Biblical registration of a curse upon
the Egyptians.
There is a reward given by government for the destruction of locust
eggs. Each female deposits two small cases or sheaths beneath the
ground, containing thirty or forty eggs in each. The position is easily
distinguished by a shining slimy substance. A certain sum per oke is
given, and the people gladly avail themselves of the opportunity of
earning money at the same time that they destroy the common enemy.
The British administration is keenly alive to the importance of this
warfare, and I have frequently met commissioners of districts galloping
in hot haste, as though in pursuit of a retreating enemy, towards some
quarter where the appearance of locust swarms may have been reported, in
order to take immediate measures for their destruction.
Unfortunately the locust is not the only enemy of cotton cultivation,
but the (to my mind) abominable system of dimes, or tenths of produce to
be valued while growing, restricts the cultivator to an inferior variety
that will remain within the pod, instead of expanding when liberated by
ripening.
The cultivation of cotton differs according to the many varieties of the
plant. Pliny described the "wool-bearing trees of Ethiopia," and I have
myself seen the indigenous cotton thriving in a wild state in those
parts from whence they were first introduced to Egypt, during the reign
of Mehemet Ali, grandfather of the Khedive. It is well known that
although comparatively a recent article of cultivation in Egypt, it has
become one of the most important exports from that country. Cotton of
the first quality requires a peculiar combination of local conditions.
Water must be at command whenever required during the various stages of
cultivation; and perfectly dry weather must be assured when the crop is
ripe and fit to gather. The collection extends over many days, as the
pods do not burst at the same period. Some of the most valuable kinds
detach easily from the expanded husk and fall quickly to the ground,
which entails constant attention, and the quality would deteriorate
unless labour is always at hand to gather the cotton before it shall
fall naturally from the plant.
It will be therefore understood that, although many soils may be highly
favourable to the growth of fine qualities of cotton, there is an
absolute necessity for a combination of a peculiar climate, where
neither rain nor dew shall moisten, and accordingly deteriorate the
crop. Egypt is specially favoured for the production of first-class
cotton, as in the upper portions of the Delta rain is seldom known; but
the extreme carelessness of the people has reduced the average quality
by mixing the seeds, instead of keeping the various classes rigidly
separate.
The dry climate, combined with the fertile soil of Cyprus, would suggest
a great extension of cotton cultivation, when artificial irrigation
shall be generally developed, but so long as the present system of
collecting the dimes is continued, the farmer cannot produce the higher
qualities which require immediate attention in collecting. During the
delay in waiting for the official valuer, the pods are bursting rapidly,
and the valuable quality is falling to the ground; the cultivator is
therefore confined to the growth of those inferior cottons that will
adhere to the pods, and wait patiently for the arrival of the government
authority.
Consul Hamilton Lang, in his interesting work upon Cyprus, suggests that
the duty should be collected upon export, to relieve the farmer from the
present difficulty, which would enable him to cultivate the American
high qualities. It is almost amusing to contrast the criticisms and
advice of the various British consuls who have for many years
represented us in Cyprus with the ideas of modern officials. There can
be no doubt concerning consular reports in black and white, and equally
there can be no question of existing ordinances under the British
administration; but what appeared highly unjust to our consuls when
Cyprus was under Turkish rule, is accepted as perfectly equitable now
that the island has passed into the hands of Great Britain.
For many years I have taken a peculiar interest in cotton cultivation,
and in 1870 I introduced the excellent Egyptian variety, known as
"galleen," into Central Africa, and planted it at Gondokoro, north
latitude 4 degrees 54', with excellent results. In the first year this
grew to the height of about seven feet, with a proportionate thickness
of stem, and the spreading branches produced an abundant crop of a fine
quality, which detached itself from the seeds, immediately reducing the
operation of the cleaning-machine or "cotton-gin" to a minimum of
labour. I have been much struck with the inferiority of Cyprian cotton;
scarcely any of the crop finds its way to England, but is exported to
Marseilles and Trieste. Should Consul Lang's suggestion be carried out,
and the duty be taken upon export to relieve the grower from the
vexatious delays of the inquisitor or government valuer, there can be no
question of immediate improvement. There is no more trouble or expense
in producing a first-class cotton than in the commonest variety, when
climate and soil are so peculiarly favourable as in Cyprus. If the
government continues the system of ad valorem taxation, common sense
will suggest that the highest quality would alike be favourable to the
revenue and to the cultivator; therefore, in the interests of the
country and of individuals, every encouragement should be afforded to
the farmers to ensure the best of all species of produce throughout the
island. The excellent compilation of Captain Savile, officially and
expressly printed for the service of the government, contains the
following passages:--
"According to all accounts the taxation of the inhabitants of Cyprus has
under Turkish administration been carried out in a most severe and
oppressive manner, and the imposts upon certain articles of agriculture
and commerce have been so heavy that their culture and export has in
some cases been almost abandoned. . . .
"The cultivation of vines for the manufacture of wine has been so
heavily and unjustly taxed, that a great part of the vineyards have of
late years been turned to other and more profitable purposes, or else
have been abandoned, and consequently a branch of agriculture for which
the island is especially suited and a remunerative article of commerce
is neglected and allowed to decline. An extensive development of
vineyards and manufacture of wine should be encouraged, and with this
object it has been suggested that it might be wise to free this
production from all except export duty.
"Allusion has already been made to the injurious effect of the
collection of the tithe (dimes) upon cotton at the time when the crop is
gathered, instead of at the time of shipment, and it has been explained
how the former method prevents the farmers from growing the best and
most remunerative varieties of the plant; this is a matter that requires
the attention of the authorities when the re-adjustment of the taxes is
considered."
Captain Savile's useful book is an echo of consular statements and
reports written in England for government information without any
personal experience of the island; but from my own investigations I can
thoroughly endorse the views expressed, and I only regret that the
miserable conditions of our occupation have rendered such necessary
reforms most difficult, as the poverty of the present government of
Cyprus cannot afford to run the risk of experimental lessons in
taxation.
When criticising and condemning existing evils, it must be distinctly
understood that I do not presume to attach blame to individual
authorities of the local government: I denounce the arbitrary and
oppressive system of TURKISH rules, which, although in some instances
mitigated by our administration, still remain in force, and are the
results of the conditions that were accepted when England resolved upon
this anomalous occupation. I have to describe Cyprus as I saw it in
1879, and in this work I endeavour to introduce the public to the true
aspect of the situation "as I saw it;" other people have an equal right
with myself to their own opinions upon various subjects, but, should we
differ upon certain questions, we shall at least be unanimous in praise
of the extreme devotion to a most difficult task in a contradictory
position, exhibited not only by the governor, and commissioners of
districts, but by all British officers entrusted with authority. If
Cyprus were free from the fetters of the Turkish Convention, and the
revenue should be available for the necessary improvements, with
commercial and agricultural reforms, the same energy now bestowed by the
governor and other officials would rapidly expand the resources of the
island. We are prone to expect too much, and must remember that at the
time I write, only twelve months have elapsed since the day of the
British military occupation. No officers understood either the language,
or laws, of the people they had to govern; they were for the most part
specially educated for the military profession, and they were suddenly
plunged into official positions where agricultural, legal, commercial,
and engineering difficulties absorbed their entire attention, all of
which had to be comprehended through the medium of an interpreter. It is
rare that the most favoured individual combines such general knowledge;
Turks and Greeks, antagonistic races, were to lie down contented like
the lion and the lamb under the blessing of a British rule: all
animosities were to be forgotten. The religion of Mussulmans would
remain inviolate, and the Greek Church would hold its former
independence: freedom and equality were to be assured when the English
flag replaced the Crescent and Star upon the red ensign beneath which
Cyprus had withered as before a flame; the resources of the country were
to awaken as from a long sleep, and the world should witness the
marvellous change between Cyprus when under Turks, and when transferred
to Englishmen. "Look upon that picture, and on this!" The officers of
our army were the magicians to effect this transformation, not only
strangers to the climate, language, laws, customs, people, but without
MONEY: as the island had been robbed of revenue by the conditions of the
Turkish Convention.
In spite of the many abuses which still exist, and which demand reform,
there could not be a more tangible proof of the general efficiency of
the officers of our army than the picture of Cyprus after the first
year's occupation. Although the government has been severely pinched for
means, and a season of cruel drought has smitten the agriculturists;
with commerce languishing through the uncertainty of our tenure, the
Cyprian population of all creeds and classes have already learned to
trust in the honour and unflinching integrity of British rulers, which
ensures them justice and has relieved them from their former oppressors.