'Administration Reports 1920-1924' [‎195r] (394/412)

crying out for the punishment of the evil-doers and the protection of their com-
munity. . .
Sheik Hamad was away on a hunting trip and he was immediately recaliecl ;
for Sheik Muhammed, his brother who was acting for him > was quite useless m
the emergency, and his sympathies were probably with the aggressors. On his
return, Sheik Hamad endeavoured to take action, and by various subterfuges,
succeeded in arresting some of the participators in the outrage, though the
sons of Sheik Khalid were allowed to escape to the mainland.
The Hon'ble the Besident visited Bahrain and was successful in persuading
Sheik Hamad to take action against the men who had been arrested. A trial
was duly held, adequate punishment awarded, and the death sentence passed
on the sons of Sheik Khalid, who had escaped arrest. _ Doubtless Sheik Hamad
only brought himself to pass such a sentence in consideration of the fact that
they were safely out of the way, and that it was extremely unlikely that it could
ever be carried out. Nevertheless the effect was profound members of the
ruling family having hitherto been secure from punishment for any offence.
A1 Khalifah have now realised tbat the new regime is firmly established,
and glaring oppression of Shiah subjects has ceased.
During the crisis it became apparent that Sheikh Hamad, with no force what
soever at his disposal, beyond a few dishonest and unreliable fidawis, had no
means of maintaining law and order, or of exerting his authority. H.e was
himself acutely aware of this, and applied for permission to raise a Levy Corps
on the lines of the Muscat Levies. This request was acceded to, a Levy Corps
was formed in June, and Captain A. Campbell, Indian Army, appointed to com
mand it.
Reforms in the local administration.—During the year under report Sheik
Hamad made considerable progress with the introduction of reforms into the
local administration.
The overhauling of the Customs Department which had been commenced in
September 1923 was completed, and plans were laid for improvements to be
carried out during 1925. Mr. C. de Grenier arrived in January and took up
his duties as Director of Customs, under a three year contract with the Sheikas
government.
The main abuses in the pearl diving industry have been checked, and pro
gress is slowly being made towards obtaining improved conditions for the
divers. During the season a system was introduced, whereby all pearling
nakhudas are obliged to give each of their divers a copy of his individual account,
this is entered in a divers book " which the latter keeps in his possession.
The svstem was found to work remarkably well during the 1924 season, and
the divers are learning to protect their own interests. The principal difficul
ties are experieneed over the accounts for previous years. In the case of many
divers these cover a period as long as eighteen years. Many of the nakhudas
kept no intelligible accounts ; others had accounts which were utterly unreliable.
These difficulties are overcome by a settlement in the Shar'a Court. The
Qadhi's decisions are now accepted without dispute by the nakhudas, and he
usually contrives to secure tolerable terms for the divers, ajid to reduce to a
reasonable figure the huge debts which the nakhudas claim as outstanding
against nearly every diver. The new accounts are then opened in the " divers'
books " with the balances proved in the Shar'a Court. Under the new system
of annual accounting there should be no further serious oppression on this score.
The state is further taking steps to limit the advances which the Nakhudas
make to their divers, in order that no diver may become virtually enslaved through
being hopelessly in debt, which has always been the case in the past.
The nakhudas are required to keep a '' general account '' shewing the out-
lay on each boat, value of pearls sold and consequent share of each diver. The
diving season lasts for four months and ten days, and the State has laid down
that no diver shall receive, under any circumstances, less than Rs. 260 (which
amounts to Rs. 2 per diem) for the season. This step resulted from the analysis
of the accounts of a very large number of divers, from which it was apparent
that the majority of divers did not, in the past, actually earn as credits in their
accounts as much as even Re. 1 per working day, although they usually received
from Rs. 2 to 3 per day in advance ; most of this was however recorded as a debt