Page 59 - PERSIAN 9 1931_1940

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loaf. Fortunately the Somalis were heavily outnumbered or several people would
have been killed and ns it was a dozen were injured. The incident shows that
Bahrain still possesses the elements of discord.
Oil concession. On the 26th May, Major Holmes and five American employees
of the Bahrain Petroleum Company arrived, and were followed later by another
five. About a thousand tons of equipment followed bv successive steamers, and
drilling started in October, Iiis Excellency Shaikh Hamad working the drill for its
first few blows. The rig quivered under the impacts and His Excellency glanced
at it and said “ the machine is drunk ! ”
The organisation of the Oil Company is remarkable. Of the immense
quantities of stores required, nothing was mislaid and everything arrived on
time.
"With the exception of Major Holmes, all the operating staff are Americans, and
the rig hands are mostly Iraqi, in fact except for the Sikhs in the Power House,
all are non-British Subjects. Major Holmes announced on his arrival that they
would employ some 400 men, but this figure has never been reached, and as soon
as the camp was complete the number was reduced to some 80 or 90.
With the exception of the Nissen huts which are made in England, and which
they are dissatisfied with, all their requirements from machinery to lead pencils
have been imported from the United States, and this influx has had a decided effect
of introducing goods of American manufacture into the bazaar. It is an interest­
ing point that in spite of their enthusiasm for things made in the United States of
America they have not made any rapprochement with the Arabian Mission, and there
is little love lost between them.
The camp is fitted with everything that practical comfort could suggest, and
refrigerators, electric light and heaters, full length baths and hot and cold
showers and water-borne sanitation are apparently a sine qua non on ‘ location *,
though they would be considered luxuries by most officials in India.
The American employees that have been sent have so far proved to be of a
good type, and have given little trouble.
Artesian Wells.—Shaikh Hamad has had great success with his well at Khar-
zekhan, but has so far only been able to utilize a fraction of the water. As was
noted last year, far too much water is being wasted and Major Holmes states that
the head of water, formerly 24 feet, is now only 17. He considers the springs in
the sea should be blocked and all further drilling stopped. When funds permit,
it would pay the State to import a qualified engineer to advise them regarding their
policy with Artesian wells.
Agriculture.—The work of the agriculturist has been restricted by the paucity
of funds for experiments, but he has been occupied on Shaikh Hamad’s estates
and has given elementary instruction in some of the schools. He also supervised
some experiments with cotton on land belonging to the Qusaibis, and the British
Cotton Growing Association reported that the samples, sent them were of excel­
lent quality. This was particularly interesting in view of the fact that it was
planted too late in the season.
Until cotton can be grown on a larger scale it will not be very profitable, and
local landowners have been unwilling to embark on a crop which shows such a poor
return at present world prices. The Government cannot now spare the funds for
encouraging them or providing the ginning machinery that is required. Some
progress is being made with market gardening, but the taste for vegetables grows
slowly.
The price of Bahrain dates fell below that at which Basra dates could be landed'
in Bahrain and rent receipts were accordingly very poor. His Excellency lost
over half of his private income owing to this, but rents are invariably fixed very
high, and it is only in the best years that the full amounts can be recovered.
Customs.—The Customs revenue amounted to Rs. 6,09,000, the decline in
commodity prices being mainly responsible for this.
Municipalities.—Both Municipalities do good work and there is much friendly
rivalry between them. Both have met declining revenues by cuts in their ex­
penses, and though no large works have been undertaken, a good standard of gene­
ral working has been maintained. A tendency on the part of the Manama Muni­
cipality to consider itself a State Council has been checked. The Muliarra<j[ bazaar
has been lit with electric lights and its sea road completed. A considerable