"تقارير إدارية ١٩٣١-١٩٣٥" [و‎‎٧‎٢] (٤١٦/١٤٣)

oranges have been grown. As the person responsible for his engagement, the
Political Agent viewed his departure vhth 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 of improved farming, and the remark of Abdul
Aziz to the Political Agent 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 for it, but this 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 of useless trees had been observed by their neigh
bours with interest and will 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 Bs. 6,14,594. The
decline in commodity prices was principally responsible for this decline.
30. The Bahrain Government introduced a per cent, duty on luxuries in
place of the former 5 per cent, from the 6 th 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 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 Mop all demand!
for a day or two, though with better times a taste for it will undoubtedly
develop. * 4 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.—-'SW boys 7 schools and two girls’ schools were in existence
on the" 1 st January. On the 2nd October when the schools reopened after the
summer vacations the Manamah Sunni and Shiah boys’ schools were amalga
mated. Tt 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.
40. Trade.—The pearl trade ended the year with a 25 per cent, to 30 per
cent, improvement, improved prices compensating for a disappointing yield Had
the decline of the three preceding years continued half the Islands would have
gone bankrupt but the close of the year found men willing to lend again and
a more cheerful note prevailed. The big buyers maintain that there has been
no equivalent rise in the European market, but as buyers it is not m t icu
interest to think otherwise. There is little doubt that the exceptionally calm
autumn greatly helped the Badda, or closing season, and many divers are said
to hci vg done rnncli better during tliis period, when they CJtn dive with whom they
please, than in the main season or ‘ ghaus ’ when they must dive for their
nakhudahs. It will be some time before their earnings are transformed into
increased imports, but benefit to trade should come.
41. In this successful radda, Bahrain seems to have benefited more than her
neighbours, as the mainland' boMs, who will not go out to deep water once the
main season is over have little good to report.
42. The total value of trade amounted to Bs. 1,69,82.270 as compared with
Bs. 1,71,20,220 in the preceding vear. The total value of imports amounted to
Bs'. 1,05,82,710 as against Bs. 1,04,61,880 and the exports to Bs. 63,99,560 as