Page 182 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

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172 Records of Bahrain

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rovonuo calculated on tbo above basis should bavo been well over 3 lakhs of
rupees. It is of courso impossible t.o‘say exactly what profit tbo Customs
farmors lmvo bcou in the habit of making,- or to forecast with accuracy what
iucotno may bo oxpoctcd when a competent Customs-administration is estab­
lished and tbo farming system abolished ; but thoro can bo no doubt whatovor
that under tbo existing system, which of course is'by ho means an efficient
one, tl»o profits of tho farmors have been large. Tbo farmers admit that they
xnako a profit of Its. 60,000 or- 60,000 on their contracts with tho Chief, but
tbo Assistant Political Agent thinks that ‘they bavo cousidorably undoiotatod
their actual profits and it is only1.'reasonable to bolievo that suoh is tbo case.
Estimating tho expenso of an efficient administration at Us. 30,000 per
annum (I shall refor to this subject later on), it will, I believe, bo found# that
tho net income realisable from tho Customs; if tho farmingsystom is abolished,
will bo at least doublo that which tho Chief now receives from tho farmors. •
6. I do not consider it necessary to dismiss in this report tho conditions
whioh reuder it advisahlo that the existing systom of farming tho Customs at
Bahrein should bo abolished, and that an cfficiout administration controlled
by a British or British Iudian subject should bo introduced. This matter has
been discussed at longth in previous official correspondence and is well known
to tho Government of Iudin. Bis Excellency tho Viceroy during his recent
visit to Pabroin apoko to tho Ohiof on tho subjoct and informed him clearly
of tho viows of Ilia Majesty’s Government with regard to it. ThoChiof
replied that the matter was, a nrivato one whioh ho trusted ho mightlio allowed
fomatiago irPfi i r'ojr-xCwny. He coulj giw no reason for not desiring the
rclorm and was most obstinate in the matter, aud at last said that beforo bo
gavo a final reply ho desired to consult tho mombel-a of bis family on tbo
subject. When I saw tbo Chief rccontly at Bahroiu be informod mo that bo
bad definitely mado up bis mind, that bo and his family did not approve of
any chongo being made, and that he would not consent to any oliango. I
asked him to stato his reasons for not dosiriug a cliango, which could not but
be beneficial to him, ns I could hardly report to tbo Goyernmout of India
that bo bad definitely mado up bis mind without haviug 6ome reasons for bis
decision. Ho replied that he bad no reasons to give: bo did not approvo of
any change and that was sufficiont.
llis attitudojj3_pmbabI\Ldue,to bis jgnorant drond that bis submission in
I the matter will mean, or uMll.nfr JnnsfThn consldcro'd by liis snhicots and noigh-
i b~oura^tfrurGauT the end of bis indepenUonceT^and furthor to his reluctance to
abolish asystom whereby be can always obtain advances in tinio of need.
However this may be, both my predecessor and I bavo frequently endeavoured
• to induco tbo Chief to Consent to so desirable and necessary a change in tbo
system of bis Customs administration, omploung of courso all the necessary
arguments for removing any misapprobonsioua from bis mind, but without
success; and knowing the Chief as I do, I am confident that bo will not give
way.
I Customs is to bo abolished, notwithstanding tbo Chief’s rofusal to consent to
y 7. If tbon it is decided that tbo existing system of farming out tbo
any change, it will be necossary to obtain tbo sorvices of somo officials trained
in Customs work, as nono of tbo Chief’s subjects are capablo of managing tbo
business at all efficiently. I will proceed now to consider this and other points
connected with tbo change.
8. Tho first point to be considered is.ftjo treatment of the members of tbo
Syndicates who have takon the leaso oft .the Customs. It will bo soen from
what has boon written above that so far as is known llieso men have made
advances to the Chief amounting to Us. 2)12,000. ’ If the leases aro oancollod,
it will, I presume, be necessary to pay to tbo Syndicates in a lump sum such
amount as may bo found to bo duo to them on tbo dato when tbo farming
.system is abolished togethor with such interest as may appoar to .the Govern­
' t
ment of India to bo roasonablo undor tbo circumstances of tno. case, lbo
Assistant Politioal Agent reports that the rate /6f iutercst usual in.Bahrein is
high and varies from 25 to GO per cent, according to the nature of the security
given. In tbo present caso tbo Hindu traders who compriso the Syndicates
bavo done much towards promoting tbo trade of Bahrein and have ?°m0.5“
ward to bolp tbo Chief in bis difficulties, thus preventing him from falling mto

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