"ملف 19/175 البحرين - تجارة اللؤلؤ" [ظ‎‎١‎٧] (٨٣/٣٤)

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In view of Ma jo
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lor Daly^ imninent return to Bahrain, I am
not in a position to venture any detailed commente on neaBures
of reforn which have already "been instituted in the pearling
industry during his incumbency as Political Agent. It may not
however be out of place for me to submit for your consideration
one or two points which have become apparent to me during my
experience of this years pearling season in Bahrain.
In regard to the abolition of the Salifah Court, I will
venture only to remark that my experience of the diving cases
with which I have had to deal is that the restitution of a
reformed kind of Salifah Court is a necessity, both from a
point of view of equity and also from the fact that public
opinion will sooner or later demand it.
I do not think that it is within the power of the ordinary
Court of Justice to deal fairly with some of the complicated
differences which arise between diver and nakhuda, &■£
nakhuda and nakhuda and nakhuda and Tajar, without the
assistance and adiice of a body of men who enjoy universal
respect in Bahrain, and wbo are well versed in local diving
custom.
If it v/ould be possible for H.M.Government to define the
main principles by which these men should be guided in their
decisions, and if the Political Agent and Sheikh Hamad were
given all the powers of appeal and revision from those decisions
in cases of necessity, I do not think there would be any serious
danger of the old oppressions and malpractices creeping back
into the industry. At the same time much discontent among
l
the nakhudas and Tajars, who after all control the industry,
would be removed and the Salifah body would be in a position
to advise the Government in regard to further measures for
the smooth working of the industry.
The sale of pearls with the consent of 2/^rds of the crew,
though
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