Page 287 - Records of Bahrain (6)_Neat

Budgetary affairs 275

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3. I am rather at a loss for any suggestion as to
what we should do. The changes were made nearly three
months ago and a protest at that range will have little
effect. The fact too that, as I understand, the Shaikh's
orders have, of course, been acted upon since he passed
them makes it exceedingly difficult.if not impossible.for
him to change them, even if we shoula ever persuade him to
consider doing so. Still, as I anticipate similar moves
in future, it will be better to protest against this one.
Such a protest might, I suggest, take the form of a letter
from you in which a chief point should be that out of a
revenue of 86,00,000 per annum. 19,00,000 (12 lakhs oil
royalty and 6 lakhs Civil List) go to the A1 Khalifah.
4. I am inclined to agree with your view that an
allowance at 50 per cent on Civil List salaries is
reasonable in present conditions. My view that we have
not heard the last of such increases is based on the fact
that, as emphasized by Jackson in his demi-official letter
No.C/990, dated the 2nd October, 1947, the "inflationary
spiral" has, after our successful avoidance of it during
the war, at last appeared in Bahrain.

NS.