'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf for the year 1932' [‎575r] (53/72)

oranges have been grown. As the 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
lie has done good considering the exiguous means at his disposal. The Qusaibis
are now the principal exponents of improved farming, and the remark of Abdul
Aziz to the 1 olitical Agent on the dawn of new ideas is worth repeating. The
fiist year he used manuie, he said, it was given to him free, the second he had
to pay a small pi ice lor it, but t his year, now that its value has been discovered,
he had had to pay a stiff price for it. The Qusaibis’ action in cleaning up their
date gardens and getting rid ot 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. Es. 6,14,594. The
decline in commodity prices was principally responsible for this decline.
30. The Bahrain Government introduced a 7£ 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 qnite 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 Manamah Municipal Gardens now have the nucleus of a zoo,
including a dejected vulture, who is popularly believed to be an eagle !
36 The Manamah Municipality halved the price of ice and sold a far larger
ouantitv 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 boys’ schools and two girls’ schools were in existence
on the'1st Januarv. On the 2nd October when the schools reopened after the
summer vacations the Manamah Sunni arid Shiah hoys’ schools were amalga-
mated It was feared at one time that this amalgamation would lead to a
agitation by the Shiahs but nothing untoward happened.
39. 560 boys and 178 girls were on the rolls on the 1st Januan and 6-3 ho> s
and 190 girls on the rolls on the 31st December.
40 Tmdp —The pearl trade ended the year with a 25 per cent, to 30 per
a more cheerful n( ?t® a s buyers it is not in their
no equivalent rise m the Luropean ’ b h t ' tb exceptionally calm
interest to think otherwise There is htmdouni^ ^ ^ ^vers are said
Slar B^^hfTthl earning are transformed into
increased imports, ^ benefiUo ra e beDefited more than her
41. In this successful rn f Wa Bahrain^ wate r once the
neighbours, as the mainland boats who will not go
main season is over have little goo o ] •
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