"تقارير إدارية ١٩٠٥-١٩١٠" [و‎‎١‎٩‎٨] (٦١٦/٤٠٠)

CHAPTER VIII,
administration report for the trucial coast for thf
nine months ending 31 st december 1908.
The period dealt with in this report has been uneventful in Trucial Oman. Truciai
The chief difficulties have been caused by the bad condition of the pearl* 0man -
market and the consequent inability of the merchants to meet their liabilities.
The principal case of this nature was the bankruptcy of one Ali binAbuThabi
Abeid bin Nasir at Abu Thabi. The Sheikh from the first assumed an
obstructive attitude in the case. In May the Political Resident vigited Abu
Thabi but was unable to induce the Sheikh to recede from his contention that
all real property of an absconding bankrupt became the property of the
ruling Sheikh. The question of coercing the Sheikh was referred to the
Government of India, but it was decided that a further effort should be made
to settle the case by persuasion. It may be as well to mention that since
the end of the year another effort has been made in this direction. It was
however unsuccessful as the Sheikh is insensible to argument. The question
will be taken up again as soon as opportunity offers. The Sheikh's attitude
has been rendered thus obstructive by his failure to obtain redress for his
subjects in the notorious "Taona" case. The Sheikh invariably drags out
this case as a grievance and by reason of it his attitude in regard to all
claims of British subjects has been unsatisfactory.
The peace negotiated in June 1907 between the Sheikhs of Abu Thabi
and Umm-el-Kowein, though once or twice strained, has endured up to the
present and affairs in the Hinterland have been quiet.
The progress of the Abu Musa oxide question has been noticed in the
general report.
After some vacillation and one or two abortive appointments, Sheikh
Suggar nominated his uncle Sheikh Salim to be his deputy at Ras-el-Kheima
in succession to his son Sheikh Khalid bin Suggar who died of consumption
on 17th March 1908.
Sheikh Suggar renewed his treaty with the Sheikh of Umm-el-Kowein.
Debai has continued to prosper and the town is rapidly extending. The Debai.
Sheikh's attitude has been on the whole satisfactory, but he is a weak and
uncertain ruler.
In December, Mr. Akers (delegate of the Board of Trade) visited Debai
and was considerably impressed by its possibilities.
Nothing worthy of note occurred in these towns and the conduct of the Ajman and
Sheikhs has been satisfactory. Kowein.
P. z. COX, Major,
Political Resident in the Persian Gulf.