'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf for the year 1932' [‎539r] (53/73)

45
orange's liavo been giowii. As tlio person responsible for his engagement 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. viewed his departure with regret, but there is little doubt’that
he has done good considering the exiguous means at his disposal. The Qusaibis
are now the principal exponents ot improved farming, and the remark of Abdul
Aziz to 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. on the dawn of new ideas is worth repeating. The
first year he used manure, he said, it was given to him free, the second he had
to pay a small price tor it, but this year, now that its value has been discovered,
he had had to pay a stiff price tor it. The Qusaibis’ action in cleaning up their
date gardens and getting rid of useless trees had been observed by their neigh
bours with interest and wall undoubtedly be followed.
28. The date harvest was better than last year, and prices on the whole were
higher.
29. Customs .—The Customs revenue amounted to Rs. 6,14,594. The
decline in commodity prices was principally responsible for this decline.
30. The Bahrain Government introduced a 74 per cent, duty on luxuries in
place of the former 5 per cent, from the 6th May and later raised' this to 10 per
cent, with a 15 per cent, duty on liquor and tobacco on the 31st December.
31. Municipalities .—Both Municipalities do good work, though their means
become more and more straitened.
32. Both Municipalities, particularly that of Manamah, have able Secre
taries and only lack of funds prevents more rapid development. An effort was
made ’to prevent the Manamah sea front being used as a latrine, but much still
remains to be done in this matter.
33. A road has been made inland, parallel to the Manamah sea road, at
the instance of Captain Prior, and its value has already been perceived.
34 Both Municipalities still continue to interest themselves in many
matters quite beyond their purview, but little harm is done and they provide
useful safety valves, and on the whole do their work very well.
35 The Alanamah Municipal Gardens now have the nucleus of a zoo,
including a dejected vulture, who is popularly believed to be an eagle !
36 The Alanamah Municipality halved the price of ice and sold a far larger
diiantity than the year before to the great benefit of the public They will only
•purchase ice in the hottest weather, however, and a shamal will stop all demand
for a day or two, though with better times a taste for it will undoubtedly
develop. * ‘ Screem ’ is now a good Arabic word.
37. Public Works .—Owing to financial stringency no works of any magni
tude were carried out this year.
38 Education —Six W schools and two girls’ schools were in existence
on t’,o 1st Tarnnrv On the ^d October when the schools reopened after the
summer Vacations the Manamah Sunni and Shiah hoys’ schools were amalga
mate! It was feared at one time that this amalgamation would lead to an
agitation by the Shiahs but nothing untoward happened.
' 39. 560 boys and 178 girls were on the rolls on the 1st January and 623 boys
and 190 girls on the rolls on the 31st December.
/in TV i npv>p v.povi trade ended the year with a 25 per cent, to 30 per
cent, improvement, improved Islands"would have
the decline of the three ^Cd men willing to lend again and
gone bankrupt, but the close ot ti maintain that there has been
a more cheerful !pean n arlt, but as buyers it is not in their
no equivalent rise m the Luropean ^ the excep t lona liy calm
interest to think otherwise. The c . . p ., son anc i manv divers are said
autumn greatly helped the Rude.a, or c > ® can <p v e with whom they
to have done much better during this period, they^can^ ^ ^ ^
tear are transformed int0
increased imports, but see ms to have benefited more than her
neighbours,^as "ainlarf bo’ats who wm not go out to deep water once
main season is over have little gooc op
b c , 13 fn -R q 1 69 82.270 as compared with
42. The total value of trade amom Hl va j U e of imports amounted to
Rs. 1,71 20.220 in the urecedmg ™>r g h * , ts to r s . 63,99,560 as
Rs. 1,05,82,710 as against Rs. 1 , 04 , 61,880 ana me t