Page 225 - Records of Bahrain (5) (i)_Neat

Demands for reform, 1935, 1938-1939 213
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of the attaoks on Bahrain which have appeared of late in the

Arab Press io that Bolgrave io the real Ruler of Bahrain, the
Shaikh having boon reduced to a cypher, In bo far aa the Shaikh
and hie Family are concerned, the agitator would doubtless be of
the opinion that they ohould receive for their own share of the

revenue far leoc than they do at present* I have no doubt that
were an Executive Council ever to materialioe in Bahrain, tne
first step they would take would bo to out down drastically the
share of the State revenues at present enjoyod by the Al Khalifah

Family. I expeot that even a nominated Advisory Council would
try and make a move sooner or later in the Bamo direction, and
that this i8 one of the reasons why the idea of a Council is so
unpopular with the Family. It is quite true that, as far as I
oan see, the State revenues ore being well spent on preserving

law and order - Polioe, and on improvemento and social services,
but from the agitator's point of view this does not oover the
large sum absorbed annually by the Family, nor the agitator's

further point (which he would doubtless make) that if there were
some popular oontrol on finance such improvements and servioes
would be even more extensive and more eoonoraioal. ( I am not
of oourse saying that this would be the casei I am merely putting
forward the agitator'o arguments.)

In so far as the Munioipalities are ooncerned, it is quite
true that they give the people a measure of oontrol in municipal
matters, but the agitator would reply - this is not sufficient,
and as the Municipalities have been well administered (which I

believe is the case) why should not the people be given still
more power ?
/ <•)