Page 106 - Records of Bahrain (5) (ii)_Neat

428 Records of Bahrain

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requires no comment except to note with some satisfaction
that this visit involved the State, as opart from His
Highness personally, in 30 littlo expenditure.
(e) Cost of Rice
Hs.1,36,000 was on item of unforSecn expenditure
incurred at the outbreak of war when there was doubt whether
foodstuffs would continue to reach Bahrain in normal volume.
The State has however been able to sell this rice during
the current year.
(f) Public Works
The variations between budget figures and actuals
under the head Public Works are, with one exception, fully
explained in the Adviser's notes. This exception relates
to the cost of the Manamah Customs Pier Extension, which
exceeded the estimate by close on Rs.34,000/-, due mainly
to excessive subsidence and the need for providing a greater
wharf area than originally contemplated. The State Public
Works Department has now gained some experience in framing
estimates and these should in future be rather more accu-

rate. The main items on v/hich expenditure was incurred
but which had not been contemplated at the time of the
budget were (a) the construction of a new rifle range,
v/hich was rendered necessary by the purchase of machine
guns and (b) a Police Post, Jail and Tov/er on Jeddo Island
to provide for the better guarding of long term prisoners
and for certain defence measures.
3. In commenting on the budget figures for the current
year one must necessarily allow for the fact that budgeting
in wartime may be rendered entirely nugatory by circumstan­
ces beyond local control. In the Revenue Budget for in-
stance one would expectythe Oil Royalty and Customs receipt
figures to be exceeded if the war goes well, but it must
be /-