'File 4/23 Civil Engineer for Kuwait' [‎17r] (33/48)

D.O. No. C/192
Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. ,
Kuwait, 29th April, 1939.
Will you please refer to demi-official letter
No. 530, dated the 24th April, 1939, from Bushton?
Mr. Murtaza almost as soon as he arrived here
me know that his fees for his work and his allowances here
would make a total of Rs. 700/- per month. (This amount
included Rs. 10/- for "Transport allowance" although he was
■being provided with transport hy the local authorities,
as well, as had heen suggested hy me, a house and servant) 4
I considered this sura ridiculously high and I let
him know it. A little later he announced his immediate
return to Bushire. I then sent you ray telegram No. 0/142
of March 29th.
2. The Shaikh now "believes that he will return to
continue (a) plans and (h) supervision, Just as would an |
engineer from Iraq or elsewhere, and he told me that he
would pay him well on completion of his work. I understoo<
when I was hinting that he should treat the Engineer, when
he arrived very well, that it would he much more than
Rs. 200, and that the Shaikh was so grateful to you for
the quick despatch here and our assistance that he was
anxious to treat him generously.
In any case there is no question of the Kuwait
Government not realizing that a reasonable sum must he
paid and I shall hope to send you the amount for his work
so far (fc. 200) hy the next mail.
3. In view, however,* of the fact that most of the
future work will merely "supervision", which is of course
beneath the qualifications of ?^r. Murtaza, I recommend
that a different engineer he sent next time.
’he Hon •hie Sir Trenchard Fowle, KCIE, OHS.
Political Hesident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. *
Bushire.