HISTORY ETHNOGRAPHY NATURE WINE-MAKING SITE MAP
Selected and rare materials, excerpts and observations from ancient, medieval and contemporary authors, travelers and researchers about Cyprus.
 
 
 
 
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SIR SAMUEL WHITE BAKER
CYPRUS AS I SAW IT IN 1879
page 491

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In future years even though the revenue from the salt monopoly be entirely lost, we may confidently hope for such an expansion of the revenue from land,1 from houses, from customs and excise duties, as will ensure a total income of more than 200,000/. a year. Expenditure of Cyprus. The estimate of expenditure is based upon the actual cost of the Turkish and native establishments now maintained, and the cost of the new agencies created by the change of administration. The account of expenditure rendered by the Ottoman Government for the past five years gives an annual average of about 24,000/. a year. Deducting from this rate the pay of officials and subordinate establishments no longer retained, also pensions and charitable allowances, and the cost for six months of the old Zaphtieh or police force (the corresponding charge for the reformed police force being added to the estimated cost of British establishments), the balance of 1,972,000 piastres, or 17,000/., may be accepted as a fair estimate of the charges for native establishments in the island during the current official year. The charges for British establishments are estimated at 35,000/., and they include expenses, incidental to the occupation of a new country, that are not likely to recur. It will be possible, in the future, to reduce the scale of charges for British and native establishments, as further experience is gained, and the entire machinery of the executive administration is brought under effective control. The estimated expenditure for Native and British establishments may be broadly divided under the following heads :— Central Administration— £ Including pay of the Turkish Governor for part of the year, and of the British High Com missioner, Financial and Judicial Commis sioners, and High Court for remainder of the year 12,400 District Administration- Including British Commissioners of District?, Native and British Establishments . . 13,500 Military Police 16,500 Customs and Excise Establishments. . . 5,000 Prisons 3,000 Miscellaneous i,6oo 52,000 The island of Cyprus is 140 miles long from east to west, with an average breadth of 30 miles. Thi s gives an area of 4,200 square miles, or 2,688,000 acres. Assuming even 1,500,000 acres to be culturable, with an average rental of 2j. an acre, we should have a revenue from this source alone of 150,000/. a year.

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