Syria: An Economic Survey 



The osher is collected either from each village as a whole directly 

 or through an osher contractor, who collects the 12 per cent from 

 each farmer in produce; (b) the land tax (wergho) which amounts 

 two 4/1,000 of the value of his land, plantations, improvements, 

 and buildings; (c) the cattle tax (aghnam) on camels, buffaloes, 

 sheep, goats, and pigs (4 piastres annually per capita for sheep 

 and goats, 10 piastres annually per capita for camels, buffaloes, and 

 pigs) ; (d) the road tax amounting to 20-30 piastres annually. 

 Certain parts of Syria are exempt from the osher, paying in its 

 stead a fixed sum, which is smaller. 



B. Land Registry. 



So far there is no land registry in Syria, but only a survey of 

 lots made 50 years ago, inaccurate both as to size and to boundary. 

 A law passed in 1913 provides for a new register according to Euro- 

 pean methods, but so far it has not been carried into effect in Syria. 



C. Property Ownership and Inheritance. 



The law of the Koran, according to which the land belongs to 

 the state, has been violated in many ways. The sultan has the 

 power of changing property leased on long terms into perpetual 

 possessions, etc. 



The law holds good only in the following cases : 



(1) Eeal estate cannot be handed down by testament, 

 but reverts to the state if the deceased does not leave any of 

 the relatives stipulated by law. 



(2) Real estate reverts to the state if it is not cultivated. 



(3) Real estate may be held as security for the debts 

 of the testator if he is a farmer, except in special cases. 



(4) With certain exceptions real estate cannot be sold 

 to corporations. 



(5) The consent of the land registry commission must 

 be obtained before selling a piece of land. 



V. Agricultural Training and the Introduction of 

 Improvements. 



It is only in the last decade that the government has begun to 

 take the question of agricultural instruction into consideration. 

 Two schools have been founded near Aleppo and Horns respectively. 

 The Jewish Agricultural School Mikveh Israel near Jaffa, founded 



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