Page 345 - Records of Bahrain (5) (ii)_Neat

Roads and commercial development 665
Confidential*

The Residency,
fluehire, the 9th June, 1939*
D* 0* ~fo,556—3*

h[cs

I was much interested in your letter IJc . 0.352*l.b/5,
dated the 29th }£&y 1939, on the subject of the oonneroial
development of Bahrain#

2# I certainly agree in principle that wo ehould consider
schemeo for providing employment for the poor classes of the
State, especially nowadayo when the bottom hae dropped out of
the pearl market, but I think that the Bahrain Development

Trust is rather ambitious and would give much scope for local
inefficiency and graft*

3* The only way to prevent this graft and inefficiency

is to interest foreign i*e® non-Bahraini, oapital to open up
certain local industries, of which the cement and the button*
making are perhaps the mast promising* This would at all events
give a good deal of looal employment* It could be stipulated

that a certain percentage of the Company’s shares would have
to be reserved for local oapital, Bahrain Government or other­
wise, but for the roasono given above actual control would, I
think, have to be in the hands of the Company* In fact, the

Company would undoubtedly insist on this*

4* We can talk the matter over further on my approaohing
visit *

<8
H#Weightman Esquire, ZCS#,
Political Agent,
Bahrain#