Page 542 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

Mr Ashraf the leader of the Indian Mohamedans came to call. He discussed a question about the election of
an Indian member on the Municipal Council, we had stipulated that as they only had a few people who were
entitled to vote we would allow them to nominate a member subject to the Government approving of him,
they got annoyed at this restriction and said that as long as this clause was inserted they would not supply a
member. The Hindus did the same. I pointed out to him that as theirs was a very small community it was
very kind of us to give them a member at all, but he didnt seem to see the point. Court. Shaikh Mohamed
came after lunch and we discussed municipal affairs, then The Shaikh arrived and we talked for several hours,
he was very trying as he got onto the subject of his privy purse, which is at a low ebb. He is hopelessly
extravagant and has no idea of method. He complained that in the old days he was able to send an order to
the Customs for, say, fifty thousand rupees, but now he never does this. He forgot that in those days there
was no civil list and none of them had any regular pay. Had a most tiresome time with him, Shaikh Mohamed
was there and encouraged him to ask for more money till I suggested that he could get more by clipping
some of the allowances of his relations and taking it himself. That made Mohamed shut up. Then we went
to the Power House through the Agency garden and afterwards along to the sea road to Muharrak which he
had not yet seen. He seemed very bored by the sight of the engines but slightly more interested by the sea
road. He knows nothing about things like these and never even pretends to be interested in things which he
does not understand. When he left I went to the Mission for tennis, but it was very late and we hardly got
any. Very pleasant cool weather. They began working at the wiring of our house for electric, it is a tiresome
job as we have had to clear out of the drawing room and they make much noise beating holes in the walls.
Tomorrow they are to work on two rooms at the same time. It will be very nice when done. The other
houses are having the wires outside, showing, but in our drawing room he is putting them into the walls
which wont show, but means a lot of work in the doing of it. Here we have stone walls so these things cant
be done as at home.

Tuesday 8th April 1930

Meeting of the new Manama Municipality. I think they show promise, they are a very substantial selection
and most of them men with some intelligence. The meeting was a good one, we had some important
business to do and they put forth very sensible ideas. The members include one ex President and an ex
secretary. Didnt get away till very late and then went into the Agency for a few minutes and discovered that
it was nearly two oclock. These meetings do take up a lot of time. Old Bassam came to tea and stayed for
some time in the afternoon, he had not a great deal of news but was quite interesting on the subject of the
new members of the council, he told me which of them were on good or on bad terms. Drove out in the
evening to the Sea Road and the school which I wanted to photograph.

Wednesday [9 April]

Customs and Police office most of the morning. There is quite a lot to do at the Customs while de Grenier is
away. Parke had a long talk about his very tiresome Superintendent who he thinks ought to be given the title
of Khan Sahib, but as it is an Indian Govt title the Shaikh cant grant it and the Agency certainly wouldnt.
Parke is getting very nervy again and I fear he will be very tiresome during the summer. He gets so very
fussed over things. Tennis at Mespers in the afternoon. We are so much up at Bridge that everyone else
remarks on it and is quite annoyed. It is really rather tiresome. The house is in a most awful state with the