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Chapter One. The Naga Hills |
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Mills occupied counting houses for tax assessment |
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During the next few days Mills was mainly occupied in counting the houses of several villages for the assessment of taxes. The Angamis paid in place of land revenue an annual house tax of three rupees, old and sick people being granted exemption. It often happened that two families lived in one house, and in such cases the house was taxed on the number of its hearths, for every family must own its own hearth. But the Nagas, like everyone else, hated paying taxes. It was a favourite trick of theirs to cover one of the two fireplaces during the visit of the Deputy Commissioner, pretending that only one family lived in the house. |
