80 



the inhabitants better satislied to carry it on, l)ut tlie ^vork was better 

 done, and the money re^'erted to those who bore the burden of the 

 tax. This kind of work is carried on ))y contract, and each person is 

 paid for the volume of earth he removes. Owing- to the improved 

 quality of hand labor it was possible to clean canals in which 125,000 

 cubic yards of silt had deposited. At tirst it was estimated that 

 machinery would have to be employed when the volume exceeded 

 50,000 cubic yards for any one c:mal. In 188(3 the tirst systematic 

 work of cleaning- the canals was undertaken by the government, and 

 this was £fradually extended until all earthwork was carried on with- 

 out the emplo3'ment of the corvee. The cost of cleaning- the canals 

 amounts to nearly t^2,000,000 per year. While this is a serious drain 

 on the treasury of the country, 3'et it is a long- step in advance of the 

 conditions which existed prior to the initiation of reform. The corvee 

 is still called out to w^atch the ])anks of the Nile during- hig-h water. 



A number of decrees have been issued dealing- with details reg-ulat- 

 ing- the corvee service, but they are comparatively unimportant. On 

 Deceml)er 19, 1889, the following- decree was rendered: 



We. the khedive of Egypt, at the instance uf our eonncil <>f niinigters and in view 

 of the deliberations of the general assembly, decree: 

 Article 1. The corvee is suppressed throughout Egypt. 



Article 2. The guardianship and charge over the (Ukes and other works, as well 

 as all urgent measures in case of danger owing to the rise of the Nile, shall continue 

 to be carried out at the expense of the inhabitants. 



Article 3. The corvee and redemption tax are replaced l)y the establishment, both 

 on Ushuri and Kharadji lands, of a special tax Mith a maximum tax of SO. 214 per 

 acre, the total jiroduce of which shall not exceed $741,500 per annum. 



The assessment of this tax shall be made by a further decree issued on proposal of 

 our council of ministers, after consideration ])y the legislative council. 



.\rticle 4. The produce of this special tax shall, with the authority of the com- 

 missioners c^if the delit, be employed under the conditions prescribed by our decree 

 of the 14th of June, 1889, for the sum of §1,235,750 provided for in the said decree. 

 Article 5. Our ministers of linance and public works are charged, in so far as they 

 iire each concerned, with the execution of the present decree. 

 Done at the palace of Alxlin the 19th of December, 1889. 



(Signed) Mehemet Tewfik. 



By the Khedive: 



Th.e President of the Council of ^Ministers. 

 The Minister of Finance. 



(Signed) Riaz. 



The Minister of Public Works. 



(Signed) Mohamed Zeki. 



Many preliminary steps were necessary before this tinal decree could 

 be rendered. Some of the foreign powers objected to increasing- tax- 

 ation for the purpose of relieving- the fellaheen in this work. The 

 French were particularly active in this opposition. 



Althoug-h to-day the fellah is not imposed upon as he was twentj^ 

 3'ears ag-o, yet he does not enjoy liberty as we understand it. The 

 work of watching- the Nile levees during high water results in consid- 



