THE NEW EGYPT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1605, 23 November 1912, Page 6

THE NEW EGYPT.

KITCHENER'S TASK,

NINE MONTHS OF REFORM. During the nine months which Lord t Uer already spent in Cairo as liritish Agent ho has accomplished a task tho value of which it would be difficult to over-estimate. Lord Kitchener has inaugurated a series of reforms which must eventually revolutionise the whole financial, economic, and agricultural system of Egypt, and introuuee an era of peace and prosperity such as tlio country has never seen beforo. j Kitchener's Smile, There wero those who believed that a civil post was not in keeping with the talents and capabilities of the conqueror of the Sudan. Lord Kitchener's career during the past nine months must do away with all such apprehensions. No human being coukTin such a short space of timo i have more endeared himself to every class of Egypt's population. Lord kitchener's smiles have dono more to conquer Egypt than ull the guns , and Iroops together. A distinguishing feature of Lord Kitchener's nine months reign has been tho opening- of tho gates of the British Agency to Egypt's population. When notables, sheikha, pastms, beys, offendis, and the commons came to congratulate Lord Kitchener on his first arrival from England, they were told that the gates of the Agency would be open to any person who needed counsel, advice, or help, so long as these wore asked in the interests of the public and general good. And the people took advantage of this invitation; they came to tho Agency whenever trouble befell thein. Their complaints, needs, and interests were laid befor the Agent, and men went away confident of tho results. The British Agency, in fact, has become tho Mecca of-an Egyptian social, political, commercial, industrial, and agricultural renaissance. Then, again, when tho people could not come to 'him Lord Kitchener went to them, and visited them in their own homes and provinces. Nothing helped more towards the conciliation of the Egyptians to tho Occupation than these tours in tho provinces. They rallied the masses, they discomfited the.spirit of Nationalism, which was rampant, and they created between Lord Kitchener and Egyptians a bond of- good feeling and understanding which must prove a great factor in'the process of reform. Swamps and Pests. Tho first question to occupy the attention of the British in Egypt was the question of drainage. Vast tracts of land in.Lower Egypt bncamo so swamped, during flood time particularly, that nothing could grow. For a,long time past the Government had. intended to construct drainage works, but lacked the onergy to undertako such a huge scheme. With his usual determination to do things' when ho deems them necessary, Lord Kitchener ordered the scheme to be studied and reported on, and then the fiat went forth that the project should be accomplished. Another useful reform has taken place. Hitherto the Government had been content to urge the population to collect the eggs of the cotton worm and burn or kill them. But this great danger which annually threatens the cotton crops needed more energy and consideration. The cotton worm and the'means of annihilating it were not systematically and scientifically studied. . It was due to Lord Kitchener that a commission of agricultural experts was formed to study the whole question from a practical as well as a scientific point of view. The "Fellah" and the Usurer. Perhaps nothing has. contributed more towards the .poverty of the "fellah" and his utter dependence on others than the cruel system of usury which is rife in Egypt, and especially in the provinces. Improvident ana wasteful, tho "fellah" has always needed the cash of the usurer, !n:ho did not-hesltate to extra'ct most advantageous'terms possible. Money was given, and is still given, at SO, 40, 50, and .100 pet cent.; in some cases the percentage is even higher. The® usurer is generally. the village grocer, or a Jew who travels about, or a Greek. Usually money is advanced on the farmer's crops, whitili are sold at the cheapest markets in order to pay tho creditor. The condition of the "fellah" was becoming gradually more hopeless and intricate. His land was often sold to clear his debt. Thus a vast number of small landholders' became dispossessed of their only means of subsistence. Fortunately for Egypt, Lord Kitchener ' immediately grasped tho situation. The best security the usurer had was the farmers' land; once tell him that this was no longer available' as a security and he would moderate his terms and become more careful in lending out his money. Consequently the "Five-acre" law was passed, which declares , tho'last five "acres' of nny landlord inalienable, for debt. Thus no longer will a usurer force a farmer to sell, his last five'acres or a fraction of these. , , i. , And last, but not least, in the list of reforms are the new district tribunals which have been created all over _ the country in order to facilitate'the administration of justice and save the "fellah' the worry and expense of coming up to the "centre" of jurisdiction. • Though savings banks existed in Egypt, until some four months ago they were limited to the large cities and towns, the \ provincial and rural jiopulation being quite strangers to the idea. Lord Kitchener saw that it was the "fellah- or peasant who should benefit most by savings banks. Consequently savings banks were started in every town, village, and ; hamlet in the provinces,-and governors, were told to instruct the people as to the benefits of savings banlcs. This was done, and the huge success which' followed showed the merits of the project.