Page 594 - PERSIAN 9 1941_1947

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the new wing of the Manama palace, residential quarters
for employees of the Bahrain Government, residential
quarters for employees of Messrs. Gray Mackenzie & Co.,
Ltd., 4 new flour mills, and about 116 private consumers.
An increased demand by petroleum concessions Limited for
the air conditioning for their staff and office premises
was also met.
(ill) New Agreement with the R.A.F.
In May the Bahrain Government concluded a new
electricity agreement with the Air Ministry under which
they became responsible for the supply of electricity
in an emergency to the Royal Air Force at Muharraq, and
regularly to the various B.O.A.C. installations in Manama.
(iv) At the invitation of the Amir Saud bin Abdulla
bin Jalawi of Hassa the State Engineer visited Hofuf in
March to advise on the electrification of that town.

9. TELEPHONE DEPARTMENT.
No progress has been made with the scheme for an
automatic telephone system and the Bahrain public have had
to suffer for another year from the accumulated defects of
the obsolete equipment still in use. Messrs. Cable and
Wireless experienced some difficulty in acquiring suitable
sites In Manama and Muharraq for the main and satellite
exchanges, but were assisted by this Agency in obtaining
the sites required. In September, however, the Company
informed the Bahrain Government chat an automatic system
could not be installed and offered a new magneto system
instead. Shaikh Salman felt that he had been let dovra by
the.Company and replied that unless the company were prepared
to carry out their original proposal, he would Invite another
firm to undertake installation. The question was still
under consideration by the London Office of Messrs. Cable
& Wireless at the end of the year.
10. PEARLING.
Detailed reports have not yet been received, but
prices remained at a high level and the value of the catch
was greater than that of last year. Divers, nakhudas, and
pearl merchants had a good season, but owing to the unsettled
state of the Indian market many of the pearls obtained were
still unpurchased at the end of the year. There were fewer
boats in commission largely because the absence of timber
restricts the building of new craft, and many old boats are
now unsafe. New divers are still coming forward from among
the sons of old divers, but many have been educated at the
various schools and no longer make diving their, trade.

11. CUSTOMS.
Customs revenue from all sources, amounted to
Bs. 28,83,410 an increase of Rs. 2,85,312 over the previous
year.
There were 116 launches registered with the customs
on the 31st December, 1946.
12. FOOD CONTROL.
Despite the cessation of hostilities there was
no apparent improvement In the food position during the
/re«.......