108
THE BRITISH EMPIRE : — CYPRUS
(3) six district courts, having limited criminal jurisdiction and unlimited civil jurisdiction ; (4) six magisterial courts with summary jurisdiction ; (5) ten village judges' courts. In all, except supreme court, native (Christian md Mohammedan) judges take part. There are also 4 Sheri Courts, for Mo- hammedans only, which administer the Moslem Sheri or ecclesiastical law. In the year 1919-20 the number of offences was 12,471, and the number of persons committed to prison was 2,587. Strength of police force, March 31, 1920, 26 officers and 792 men ; total, 818.
The revenue and expenditure for five years, ended March 31, exclusive of Grant-in-Aid, and share of the Turkish debt charge, were : —
Revenue
Expenditure
1913-14 (pre war)
£ 341,816 296,165
1916-17
£
332,584 318,378
1917-18
£
498,460 382,598
1918-19
£
610,499 494,675
1919-20
£
602,927 485,400
Chief sources of revenue, 1919-20 .-—Tithes, 147,864/.; excise, 75,037/.: customs, 80,294/. ; sheep, goat, and pig taxes, 12,557/. ; verghis, 29,175/. : court receipts and stamps, 29,041/.; port dues, &c, 8,372/.; railway, 33,375/. Customs revenue: 1913-14, 52.117Z. ; 1916-17, 44,425/. ; 1917-18, 50,434/. ; 1918-19, 42,368/. ; 1919-20, 80,294/. Cyprus share of Turkish national debt, 92,800/. per year (excluded from above table).
Public debt, 1919-20, 227,503/., for harbour, railways, and irrigation. Annual grant from imperial funds to revenue (not included above), 50,000/. per year.
Cyprus is essentially agricultural. Chief products in 1920 : wheat, 2,220,000 kiles; barley, 2,210,000 kiles ; vetches, 340,000 Idles ; oats, 187,000 kiles; olives, cotton. Grapes are produced in large quantities. Other products are raisins, carobs (locust beans), fruit, linseed, silk, cheese, wool, hides, and (by the Department of Agriculture) origanum oil. In 1920 there were 288,560 sheep, 210,995 goats, and 31,920 pigs. Onc-thiid of cultivable land is under cultivation. There are irrigation works for the storage and distribution of rain-water. The Forest Department has done much for the preservation and development of the forests existing at the time of the British occupation, and for the re-afforestation of denuded districts. The area of delimited forest is 700 square miles. Sponge fisheries are carried <>n. Gypsum, terra umbra and marble are found in abundance ; mining for copper has commenced ; asbestos is mined, 22,928 cwt. being exported in 1916 ; 21,386 cwts.in 1917 ; and 4,556 cwts. in 1918.
The commerce, and the shipping, exclusive of coasting trade, for five calendar vears were : —
1013
191(5
1917
1918
1919
(pre-war)
£
Merchandise : —
£
£
£
£
Imports .
619,337
967,780
968,168
1,013,582
1,525,427
Exports .
620,591
708,446
787,922
861,345
1,371,580
Bullion and specie :
Imports .
56,747
9,837
i,m
214
20,587
Export* .
79,322
■ 12,146
4,792
681
8,619
Shipping entered
Tons
Tons
Tons
Tons
Tons
and cleared
721,515
208,850
164,579
70,841
829,474
The import value is that at the port of arrival, and includes cost, freight, and other
