Page 235 - Records of Bahrain (6)_Neat

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Budgetary affairs 223

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policy of tho ytato, viow3 which I regret to 3ay are not
In uccord with tho prosont practico of the Bahrain Govorn-
mont. "ForwurU" should bo tho watch word of tho admlnls-
tration and n policy designed to prepare the way for post­
war dovolopmont must bo introducod forthwith, plans must
be thought out, advanced orders plaood for essential mate­
rials, and provision for an adequate stuff made so that no
time will bo lost in putting into execution at the earliest
possible moment the muny works tho lack of which has doluyed
tho development of those islands.
The Bahrain Government should take immodluto steps
to obtain the services of u qualified European Engineer
for the public works nopurtmont and having obtained such
a person ho should bo required to prepare with tho aid
of an adequate 3tuff accurate town plans of Manama und of
Kuharraq with a view to wonting out an improvement schomo
to include tho widening of tho presont narrow thorough­
fares, tho provision of proper communication linos through
the town, and the preservation of likely business and
residential arous for the purpose for which they are bost
suitod. He should also undertake tho adequate und imme­
diate ropair of all the roads for the upkeep of which tho
Uuhrain petroleum company are not responsible, and as
materials become available tho reconstruction of tho
public offices, murkets, und lavatories. i’ho possibility
of introducing a water borne sewage systom should be
investigated und if practicable incroduced as and when
funds can be allotted and materials procured.
7. The Electrical Engineer is over-worked and required
to do various tu3ks which should never huve been allotted
to him. An assistant should bo obtained as soon as possible
and should, in my opinion, be a young man who would be pre­
pared to work for two years as assistant with u view to
taking over as Electrical Engineer for a further period of
two years after which his contract should be terminated
and tho then assistant promotod in his turn, l.'ot only is
an assistant engineer required but also an adequate staff
of mechanics, fitters, air-conditioning exports, and
garage hunds for ut present the power house und installa­
tions are ludicrously understaffed and as far us I am
aware no attempt has been mudo to recruit suitable per­
sonnel nor nu3 any budget provision been made for such a
purpose. rhe future will see a tremendous demand for
air-conditioning and if the Dahruin Government do not
produce an officient and adequate supply of oloctric
power und lighting current they will find that private
enterprises will import their own units, rho present
power plant is antiquated and inadequate and the new
oloctrical onginoor should be required to carry out a survey
immediately of tho power plunt ana electrical equipment and
he should bo instructed to make recommendations for a new
plant dosignod to meet future demands for electric current
for lighting and energy and also for a reasonable generating
reserve to enable propor servicing to do carried out. Once
the survoy has been completed a firm of consulting Engineers
should be aoked to give their views on what machinery should
bo Installed and advice on to what manufacturers should be
Kivon the contruet for tho provision of and installation of
cno equipment. The Consulting Engineers thorasolveo would,
no doubt, provide a skilled onglnoer to watch the Interests
01* Bahrain Government during tho erection of the plant.

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