"ملف 19/175 البحرين - تجارة اللؤلؤ" [و‎‎٨] (٨٣/١٥)

I do not think there will be tny very serious opjiosition. I am in- *
clined to thinka that reasohable rate of interest is f ir, since the
•m
divers get their money before they actually earn it,but on the other
h; nd they cfnnot object to some limit being put to the amount of
interest cte) rged^egpecir lly as no interest whatever is permissible
according to their own >h;ira^& this is ^ form of m^'lcing extra money
which has only crept in since they have b d matters entirely their own
way^c refused to h ve their cases decided by the ihs.ra.It is noteworthy
that although in all other casea,particularly criminal cases,the same
^akhud-s he ve ■ Iways been loud in dent nding the Bhfra'.they re
by no means agreeable to disputes in recounts being so settled I
The matter is of consider! ble urgency^ I should be glad if you would
put me in r position to advise -the \h ik ; s to the iiiegula tions, if any,
which he should introduce.lt is very commonly known that the interest
hitherto charged ha 3 been quite unreasona ble & r great hardship to the
divers.It can be argued that the divers cou d go without adv nces if
they chose,bnt they re ignorant & improvident people,h^ ve hitherto
almost always been swindled of their f- ir sh re in the pearls * compelled
A
from sh; de stitutdon, to teke adlvances at any rate of interest,to
provide themselves with food.
The diving difficulties would be very considera bly lessened,
if some rival industry, such as oil develop ment, capable of providing
labour,could be started in Bahrain.Then Nakhudas would h ve to tre t
divers better or go without them.
MaJor.I^. Political Agent.