Page 285 - Records of Bahrain (6)_Neat

Budgetary affairs 273

Ab far back as 1933 in paragraph 2 of his letter-'
dated 6th Rabl ath-Thanl 1362, Shaikh Hamad accepted the vo
convention that.the Ruler should get 1/3 and the State 2/3rd
of the royalties from oil (enclosure to Bahrain P.L. No.C/341-
l.b/7 dated 17th August, 1933). Beyond this letter no formal
undertaking was given by him but the convention was well estab- \
lished by 1936 vide Sir. Trenchard Fowle1 s letter No,1018-Sv. '>*■;
dated 20th December 1936 (copy sent to Bahrain under P.L.
No,1019-S dated 20th December, 1936), and has been referred to
in subsequent correspondence with the Ruler. In 1940 the
Political Agent, Mr. Y/elghtraan, discussed (D.O. No.C/767-10/1
dated 7th October, 1940) with Shaikh Abdullah and Shaikh Salman
the desirability of reducing the Shaikh1s 1/3 share to l/6th
or less but no conclusion was arrived at. ■ ’ ‘ ?-,o
' } \
In his derai official letter No.C/77-4/1, dated the ,
16th February 1936 to the Adviser Colonel Loch, the Political j. 'V*
Agent intimated that the intention underlying an earlier letter
of 1934 to the Shaikh was that no further increase should be
made in the Civil List and that nay new allowances to the
A1 Khalifah family should be met from the l/3rd of the royalties
allotted to the Ruler, This was apparently acquiesced in at
the time.
In 1941 Shaikh Hamad wrote (vide his let'ter dated
13th Safar 1360 to the Adviser) desiring to help himself to
2 lakhs from the 1/3 royalty credited to State general revenues .
(the remaining 1/3 being credited to the Reserve Fund), 1 lakh
to meet the cost of entertaining and 1 lakh to supplement the
allowances to the A1 Khalifah family. In his reply No.183-3.
dated the 10th April 1941 (copy sent to Bahrain under P.L. '
No.187-3 dated 10th April. 1941) the Political Resident, Sir
Geoffrey Prior, informed the Shaikh (paragraph 6) that he had
always thought that the 1/3 share enjoyed by His Highness was
excessive and was about to ask His Highness if he could see his
way to reduce itj also (paragraph 7) that he hoped that if
His Highness wished to increase the emoluments of the A1 Khalifah h
he hoped that His Highnes.s would do it from the l/3rd of the ,
royalties enjoyed by His Highness or the amount His Highness • __..
spent on bedouin. In his reply dated the 8th Rabi-al-Thani
1360 Shaikh Hamad appreciated the Political Resident18 advice
but merely agreed that the State reserve should not be touched.
No undertaking was given by Shaikh Hamad or ha3 been given by
Shaikh Salman that post-1934 increases in the allowances of the
A1 Khalifah family would be met from the Ruler's 1/3 share of
royalties, and the latter's action summarised in S.No.66 (P.R's
deni official letter No.1783-3 dated 13th October, 1947. to
Mr. Jackson) shows that he has not accepted the principle.

s. 0' fld/- J. Croning.
'LB 21st November, 1947

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