Page 168 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

158 Records of Bahrain

(X) Wo agreo to pay to tho Shoikh krans 1,500 per annum for clwrt»*r-
iog his boat coiled “ Salama” and alio is-at tho disposal of tho
Shoilch himself.
(XI) Half-duty only will bo tnkon by us on gnus imported into 13nh-
roin, and. tho Sheikh will talco tho other half; and in tho same
way tho duty on parcels arriving through tho Post Office will
.bo taken. .
(XII) If a man brings a paper from tho Sheikh asking U9 not to levy
duty on anything ho (tho man) may lmvo brought, wo will not
charge duty if tho things aro inte.udod for presentsotkorwiso
tho usual duty will bo charged.
. This has been oxccuted with our mutual consent and approval.

Dated Buehiro, 28th May 1899.
From—LirutenaKt F. 13. I’iudbaux, First Assistant to tho Politioal .Rceidont in tho
Persian Gulf,
. To—Tho Political Resident in tho Porsiau Gulf. •
I havo tho honour to report that, in accordance with your /instructions, I
woYit into tho quostion of tlvo working of *tho Customs of tho island of Bahrein,
duritig’my reconc visit there,.and that I spoke to the Shoikh on tho subject at
two interviews, whioh I had with him. • *
'4 I learnt that, for a number of years past, tho Customs have boon farmed'
by Shoikh Esn to a firm of Banina named Gangaram, Tickamdoss and Com­
pany, who, on nocount of the great profits which they make out of the business,
and fearing that tho Shoikh, at any time, may refuse to renew.tho contract to
them, aiid may sell it to a rival firm, havo always been in tho habit of buying
fresh lcasos eomotwo years boforo the expiration of tho one in force at tho time.
They get theso leases in advance by paying down considerable sums of monoy
in oash to tho Sheikh, who is geueruBy in want of ready-money.
I- ■' :3. I'was ablo to obtain copies of ihodast thveo contracts* given by tbo
Shoikh'to tho farmers, from which I have
* TramUlion, attached.
ftWWwHfcrsw. S£«S!!SVS5iJr^St
2S5;..... *•**■■ *—
•For uijri'1810 (1808*00 a. u.). n». 1.07,100. for tho last year is due to tho raising of
the rate of duty from 4 to 5 per cent, ad valorem, and this cliango, 1 believe,
was made when tho.Slioikh 60 w that ho-bad-lost ior tbo futuro -tho incomo ho
liati-been (getting on account of the traffic iu arms and ammunition.
T^Vks informed-By’£lio llcsfdency 'Agent, Agha ’Muhnramnnd Rahim
Saffar, that when tho Sheikh altered tho rato of Customs duty/hotook from the
farmers on underttiking to :pay him an additional sumof Rs. 33,500-per annum
from Zil Hajja 13 L6 (April U08 A.D.), but though the Agent has not boon
able to get from either tho Slioikh -or the.Bauias a-eppy of this.additional
'agreement;'both'parties npprontly being -unwilling to show .it to him, ho
•belitfVes I!t1idt It uoes ndt oputaln'nnyadditionul articles, prolonging tho period
f*/r tybioh'thokjdbtrnot wfts'givon'to'tho Banias'in (hq ngreemont executed on
tho ,81st Ootobor 1807, and the presefit'hold of tiio'Banias on the Customs of
Bahrein will cease, therefore, fat-t!lid end-df'the ‘Hijri year .1319 (April 1002
A. DO. - * ‘ ' . • *
&. t)uting my interviews with the Slioikhi I pointed out that ho apparent­
ly only takes‘for himself about two-fifths of tho va’luo :of theCustoms of his
islands, tho remaining thre'erfifths going to’tho Baniavand I urged him strong*:
ly to try- and,get out of thoir'hands, and to apply to tho-Govornmont of Indio,
as holiad previously bcon advised to do, for tho loan.of-.tho acrvicos of a Customs
0