Page 67 - Records of Bahrain (4) (i)_Neat

Introduction oj reforms, 1923 57

fldonblal. The Agency,
Bahrain.
i k
//
Persian Gulf. '/
10/6/23
The lion1 bit the Political Resident in the Porsian Gulf,
Buohlro.
Bahrain Ro forms .(i) Finanoea.
Sir,
Since your rocont departure from Bahrain,I have been very fully I
oeeupied.in consultation with 3haiko Hamad & Abdulla,in reducing *•

to 30BQ order,the ehaotie state of the loeal finanoea. The proiimin-
ary work waa complicated by the noooaaity for a very early determine
-tion of the allowantea to be made to the various npnbors of A1
Khalifeh family,sinee the arabic month was drawing to a close &
many of them,cut off from their usual source of supply, (they were ir
the habit of drawing supplies in kind without any limit,leaving

Shalk Eaoa to foot the bill) were in need of funds.
Preliminary allowances .subject to future revision,have been
determined.Throughout I have borne in mind the paramount necessity-
for economy,in order that funds may gradually bo accumulated
to .meet the expenditure for the introduction of the reforms re­
quired to be introduced. Allowances of Ai Xk&lifch family, as now

arranged amount to some Ra J|,000 por mensem.This does not include
a considerable pensions list & the monthly salaries of officials
of all classes, in some eases allewaxiees have had to be increased,
to allow for tho fact that in future ,no member of the family will
bo entitled to purchase requirements at the expense of the state*:
Every poroon to whom an allowance has been made will' have .to make
v
it suffice for his needs A has been clearly given to understand •
that no extra bills can bo znn up. This system will effectually.

put a stop to the incredibly waste of public money which, has
been permitted in the past.I estimate that about half a lakh per
mensem has boon spent unnecessarily in the past,in addition to
cauh allowaneos drawn .Of this sum approximately 2556 was clear
profit to fAli bin Abdulla.unele of the notorious Jaslm Qhifawl,