"تقرير الإدارة عن المقيمية السياسية في الخليج الفارسي للأعوام ١٩١٥-١٩١٩" [ظ‎‎١‎٤‎٥] (٣٩٦/٢٩٧)

56
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY
returned on June Mth. Dr. and Mrs. P. W. Harrison loft for India on
June 29th and returned on Ociiober 1st. Eev. Mr. and Mrs. D. Dykstra
liev. Mr. and Mrs. Birkett left for Darin on August 2 tth and returned on
September 14th. Dr. P. W. Harrison proceeded to Hasa and Riyadh ou
December 18th at the request of Bin Saud in connection with influenza.
J. H. Bill, Esquire, visited in January. Commodore Captain Davis Norris
R.N., visited in June, and E. Gunter',
Esquire, Director, Persian Gulf Tele
graphs, in November.
A further sum of Es. 65,000 was subscribed by British Indian, Persian and
Arabs for extension of and construction of
U8toms ' shade on the Customs pier. The total
length of the pier is now 825 feet. A sum of one lakh of rupees lias bteii spent
up to date on the reconstruction and extension of the pier.
In July the merchants were w r arned that the export of foodstuffs from
India to Gulf ports was permitted only
Prices of foodstulip. i? i i , • . ■ 1 - , , •/
tor local consumption in each place,
and that if these goods are subsequently exported to other ports except
under special permit from the Political Agent, it would become necessary to
entirely stop imports and that goods exported without permit would be liable
to confiscation. This order had a slight set back, but the prices rose from day
to day owing to the difficult question of supply to the mainland which takes
about one-third of the imports.
The Ag3ncy is in a very bad state—leaks badly and is generally in a very
^ .... bad state—unless action is quickly taken
Fmlding.^ to have j,. put into good COEdition ^ it
soon be unfit for habitation.
No landlord is willing to hire his house (however dilapidated it is) to the
, , Agency staff for less than Rs. 50 a month.
Clerks quanerp. mi ^ , n i i i
The owners, who are all pearl dealers,
prefer to keep their houses closed than hire them to less amount than their own
quotation and even then as a favour to Agency staff only, as they are sure of
getting better offer of Rs. 600 to Es. 1,000 per annum from Indian and Eoreign
pearl dealers who gladly sign contracts for a year though they hardly stay here
six months a year.
In July, the Political Agent invited all the leading merchants of the place
r , , , and explained to them the advartagesand
Ttnera tra e. trade facilities which would be gained by
them and the pearling fraternity by establishing a Bank here and asked them
to sign on a list according to their wishes for or against the project. They all
gave their consent willingly and Sbaikii Isa was approached on the subject.
He readily consented to establish a branch of the Eastern Bank in Bahrain.
Khan Sahib Yusuf bin Ahmad Kanoo, local news informant, had been very
useful in making this project a success.
In October, the Political Agent proceeded to Calcutta to consult the
Director oi" Commercial Intelligence relating to the introduction of Indian x
manufactured goods suitable to Bahrain market.
The year's catch of pearls was, owing to continuous bad weather, less than
the two previous years of 1916 and 1917, and the prices have been about the
same as last season. The prohibition against the export of specie to Bahrain
and pearls to Europe from India has had a marked effect on the local situation
but the wealthy Arab merchants, who had large reserve funds in gold and
who could easily afford to wait for their money, bought practically half the
quantity of pearls. On the cessation of the hostilities there w T as a very heavy
demand for pearls and the prices rose over 50 per cent, more than the previous
year. In November and December all the Arab and Indian pearl merchants
left for Bombay with £450,000 worth of pearls approximately which were
carried in person while £61,000 worth of pearls were shipped. Total amoun
shipped was £165,000.
N. N. E. BEAT, Captain, M.C.,
Political Agent, Bahrain.
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