Page 353 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

Study oj administrative machinery, 1957 339

(1019/0/57) II, M. POLITICAL AGENCY,
BAHRAIN.

CONFIDENTIAL July 25, 1957«

vil)

In the aboence of Burrows in Muacut I urn replying to
your letter no. EA1016/74 of duly 15 about the implementation
of the Cummins Report on the organisation of the Bahrain
. Government,
2f Mr. Smith tello me that Cummins' proposals for re­
grading the entire government stuff have been uccepted by the
Ruler with the difference that for. the -lowei* puid employees
it hus been decided to start them at one increment higher
than recommended by Cummins, Thir> fI think iG a step in the
right direction although somewhat uhspectacular. Smith ulso
tells me that the Ruler is now in practice treating Sayed
Mahmood, the head of the Finance Department, as the second
official in the government and he hus been graded in the same
category as people like Snow, the heud of the Health Department,
and Lees, the head of the Public Works Department. This
. again is, I think, u sound- move since it puts a Buhraini
suitably high in the hierarchy and also he is a sop to the
\£ Shins aince Sayed Malvnood is a Bliia. Smith thinks tliut the
Ruler will also agree to allowing children of school age of
expatriate employees to come out to Bahrain at government
expense once during the parents' tour. Another useful
innovation which is being decided is to [lay allowances to
government officials to cover air conditioning. At present,
while units arc supplied, the individual must pay the coot
of running them. This applies to all categories of expatriate
employees except the Electricity Department who have hitherto
had free electricity and are known to have used the privilege
extravagantly. '
3. The fact that all European expatriate employees will now
be on the same basis should remove one of the most serious
/ causes of dissatisfaction among them. It so. ms that the Ruler's
attitude in all this Ins been that he 3c willing to accept
reasonable recommendations for his government employees within
the limits of what it is possible for the government to afford.
This is, I think, u sensible attitude and rather points to
the fact thut the stumbling block in the past in the way of
improved conditions for all clauses of government employees
was Bel grave, i;s much us the lb tier.
4. I urn sending a copy of this letter to the Residency.

(0. Gault)
D.M.H, R1ojiob kQq
foreign Office? *
Londpn, s.Wtl,