Page 595 - PERSIAN 9 1941_1947

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year under review, and the Bahrain Government had again
to spend a large sum of money, Rs. 10,600,000 in purchasing
essential foodstuffs.
The monthly cereal ration was maintained at la3t
year's level, varying in composition, however, according
to the stocks in hand. More rice was available than in
1945 because the Government was able to obtain supplies
of Persian rice at regular intervals.
The cloth rationing system was successfully
maintained and cloth was issued to the villagers twice
in the year and to the towns of Manama and Muharraq five
times in the year. (The reason for this differentiation
is not known). There is, however, an extreme shortage of
white longcloth and white mulls for summer wear.
During the second half of the period under review
A. consumer goods began to arrive from the united Kingdom/in
India increasing quantities, it is hoped to relax price control
on as many articles as possible in 1947. It has already
been removed from luxury articles. The re-export from
Bahrain of more goods was allowed to encourage trade.

Black-market operators were active but several
of the racketeers were fined and imprisoned. This has
had a deterrent effect and one result has been that many
more people have applied for ration cards.
There was still no sign of any downward trend in
prices in 1946.
13. SHIPPING.

The following is a statement of ships that
called during the year 1946:-
British 256
American 199
Norwegian 40
Dutch 25
Panamerlcan 20
Swedish 10
Danish 7
Italian 6
Canadian 3
566

The total imports for the year amounted to
51,825 tons and exports to 192,375 tons of which 184,908
tons were petroleum coke.
14. ACCIDENTS WITHIN PORT LIMITS.
On the 9th February, 1946, a foreign dhow bound
for the port of Doha with a cargo of 400 gallas of dates
and 12 tins of date Juice sank north of Muharraq. All
the cargo was lost and the craft became a wreck. On the
same day a Persian vessel was wrecked at Sayeh near
Fasht al Adham. The cargo was lost but the crew was sawed.
/On the 29th.....