"تقارير إدارية ١٩٣١-١٩٣٥" [و‎‎١‎٦‎٠] (٤١٦/٣١٩)

69
2 St aic Finance. The opening balance at the commencement of the year
showed a working credit o Es. 1 65,737-11-0. This figure excludes however debts
due by the State to local creditors, which amount to Es. 90,744 Very little
effort has been made by the State to meet these debts and, althomdi it was
hoped to brmg about a satisfactory solution for payment of the major" creditor
(K. B. Mohammad Aassib & Son) for reasons which do not fall within the scope
of this report, the State has hitherto failed to honour its liabilities in this con
nection.
A proposal for the temporary continuance of the Arms Traffic subsidy is'
under consideration.The loss of this subsidy to the State will be much felt at
this juncture and will still further postpone the payment of outsanding debts
and the introduction of education and other desirable reforms.
The increase of import duty on certain commodities agreed to by some of
the Government’s in Treaty Alliance with the State has afforded some im
provement in Customs Eevenues derived from those particular lines. This ad
vantage however has been considerably set off by the decrease in the general
value of imports, as related in Part I of this report.
An unfortunate aspect of the tightening up of the Customs and Eevenues
administration has been the extortionate demands that are reported to have
been imposed by the Director of Eevenues, which in some cases would appear
to be wholly illegal. This is particularly applicable to the Batinah coastal towns
and to a lesser extent in Gwadur. In the former case the method of taxation is
driving both traders and the holders of smaller date plantations to abandon their
concerns and to seek refuge elsewhere.
The situation is one that will need careful watching in the future to avert
the untimely decease of the goose that has hitherto produced eggs which, if not
always golden, have at any rate sustained the State.
(Note .—In the Spring of 1935 the Political Kesident, during a visit to Muscat, took
the opportunity of representing this state of affairs to the Sultan, who had been absent
from the State in India for some months. Steps were taken to remedy the grievances
of British subjects, and the Sultan promised that he would keep a stricter check on his
Director of Customs and Revenue in the future, and would visit the Batinah area to in
vestigate personally the conditions ■prevailing there.)
3. Events of Political Interest in State Limits —{a) In connection with the
reconnaissance mentioned in Part 1 of this Eeport, His Highness the Sultan
deputed a representative to accompany the expedition on each occasion. I or the
first Saiyid Shahab bin Faisal was appointed and for the second His Highness’s
choice fell on Saiyid Mahmud bin Faisal.
These reconnaissances thus afforded excellent opportunities for membeis of
the Ruling Family to get in touch with the wilder and most remote parts of the
Sultanate, which otherwise remain unvisited.
During the November expedition contact was made with Shaikh Said bin
Sultan bin Mohd. el Majali of Mahut, whose paramount influence on the South Fast
ittoral 0 f the Sultanate between Masirah and Sauqrah was immediately appai ent..
The extent of the Shaikh’s influence apparently had hitherto been unknown to
the Sultan, but it is hoped from the experience now gained His Highness \wll
derive considerable political benefit.
(b) Much uneasiness and discontent prevails on the Batinah coast both
among British and Muscati subjects owing to the methods °qU xat “ n *
alleged constant issue of new rules and regulations by the Director of Custom.
and Revenue.
On all sides complaints are heard of the difficulty in
hands of the Muscat authorities. Certainly from the experience of certain cm .
affecting British subjects taken up by the Politica ff 1 .’ . ,r , lt *] 1P
to be considerable justification for these complain s an in ‘ • j 0 }, e a j
Headquarters of the Government or in the various Vilayets, would seem to
u discount.
die seizures of a Muscati dhow by Persian officia s.
4. Ei
•cm Om
H 4 • n „ Vnilfino- of outstanding importance has been reported
Events in Oman .—JNotnmg oi oi.im mun ^ i f f rom caravans
nan. Inter-tribal rates and squabbles continue but apait Horn caia