Coll 30/9 'Persian Gulf: Administration Reports 1926-1938' [‎245v] (495/1028)

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4. The year 1933 as a matter of fact turned out to be slightly better than
those of 1929, 1930, 1931 and 1932, and the catch was all sold with the exception
of the high grade and expensive pearls.
5. The actual merchants who are still suffering most from the depression
are those who five years ago and previously sunk capital in the purchase of
pearls when the market was good and pearls fetched high prices. They have
been unable to sell these since, not even at a reasonable loss, so are still saddled
with heavy stocks. Chief among these is Haji Shamlan, once one of the most
wealthy and rich of the local “ Towashes ” (pearl buyers from the fishing fleet).
6. The pearling fleet put to sea at the end of May, the occasion is known as
the Rakba. The Gaffal ”, or homecoming of the divers was fixed for the
27th of September, when as usual His Excellency the Shaikh proceeded to the
Banks and gave the signal for their return. An interesting feature of the 1933
season was the surprisingly even distribution of the pearls found by the various
boats, unlike 1932 when only a few prominent boats got all the luck.
7. The best pearl of the season was sold by Ibn Musa’ad al Badr for
Rs. 20,000. This in normal years would have fetched at least Rs. 40,000.
8. As usual ‘ scurvy ’ made its appearance among the divers, and caused
considerable suffering and some loss of life but, it will be long before one will
be able to convince the captains and crews of pearling dhows of the advantage
of taking necessary precautions. Nor does the Ruler appear to recognise the
wastage of man power which results from the dread disease. This probably
is due to the small value which the Arab places on human life.
(f) New Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. Building. —1. TV'ork was started on the building in August
1932, by the Indian Public Works Department. The Assistant Engineer to the
Honourable the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. at Bushire was in general charge, while
Mr. Abdul Wahab of the same Department supervised the work on the spot.
2. December 1933 saw the second story nearly completed and it is estimated
that the August 1934 will see the house finished and ready to be taken over by
the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. .
3. Up to date some Rs. 40,000 has gone into Kuwait Town by way of work
men’s wages, which was what the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. hoped would happen, and this
has greatly assisted in keeping* down unemployment and distress.
4. Very good work indeed has been put into the masonry portion of the
building by Mr. Abdul Wahab and his staff, who are to be congratulated
accordingly.
{g) Poverty in the Town and among the Nomad population. —1. This has
once again been a feature of the Town’s life during 1933, and may be attributed
to the continued “ Blockade ” by Ibn Sand, the depressed pearl trade, and
general world conditions.
2. His Excellency the Shaikh continued to give the “ down and out ”, one
square meal a day outside his Town Palace. These numbering some 80 souls
daily were fed from a sort of soup kitchen, which was erected close by.
3. Fortunately the better class Arab of Kuwait is a deeply religious man,
and especially on Fridays is liberal in the charity which he disburses.
4. The writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. computes that some 10,000 souls in the Town of Kuwait have
always to live on the equivalent of 1 rupee a day each, while at least half of the
Bedouin population are lucky if they can get a small bowl of camel’s milk as
their daily ration.
5. In spite of the above rather harrowing details, the people as a whole
are happy, well covered, and content with their lot, and the cost of living is
remarkably low. For instance Id. will purchase 4 flat loaves of bread, each a
foot across and l" thick, while Japan supplies the wherewithal to clothe a man
at prices which leave one aghast.
{h) Locusts. —During the year under review, Kuwait and Xorth-Ba ? t
Arabia was spared all visitations of this pest. This bore out exactly the prophes}
made by Mr. Uvarov, Locust Expert and Adviser to the British Museum, who
visited Kuwait on 23rd May 1932 and said that the Principality would be ii ee
from visitations during 1932, 1933 and probably 1934.
G) B. A. F. survey of Kuwait and the Kmvait Neutral Zone. —1- The RoU*
Air 1 orce survey of the Principality which was commenced in the Autumn n