Page 153 - Records of Bahrain (4) (ii)_Neat
P. 153

State finances, 1928-1932                455
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                      "Thc Port is mainly served both for passenger and
                      cargo by the British India Steam Navigation Co. Ltd.,
                     whoso stoamors call here weekly with the upraail, and
                      fortnightly with the down mail.    Also a weekly
                      mail service with the mainland ports has been unof­
                      ficially instituted, and is carried on by a local
                      motor launch,   The chiof export from Bahrain is
                      pearls, whose value is only estimable, and doe3
                      not appear here. It would be of great assistanoo
                      to merchants if the down mail could call here weekly;
                      but I understand the the Company*s chief objection to
                      this is insufficiency of cargo for export, though
                      this argument is fallacious if we compare this port
                      with Lingah or Henjam, on the Persian side.
                      "Strick line steamers used formerly to land their
                      Bahrain cargo at Bunder Abbas; but since the Persian
                      Authorities have demanded full import duty on such
                      cargo::, the steamors have called here direot from
                      England, a procedure which greatly benefits local
                      merchants. It is noteworthy that both the Strick
                      and the Hansa Lines bring here more cargo from the
                      Continent of Europe than comes from England, and
                      the continental suppliers' invoices are in English,
                      and their quotations are c.i.f. Bahrain,    One can-
                      not help thinking that English merchants are losing
                      a good market by not competing.
                      "Revenuc.
                             Comparative statement of revenue.
                                            Year 1346        1347.
                      Vehicle Licenses   !b 6,673/-         6,161/-
                      Pearling Licenses    68,350/-        67,025/-
                      Craft Licenses        3,630/-         3,850/-
                      Government Lands      5,724/-           625/-
                      Miscellaneous         6,211/-        10,913/-
                                           90,538/-        88,574/-

                      "This shews a decrease of Rs 2,014/-
                      "Vehicle Licenses shew a decrease of Rs 512/-.
                      There are nearly two hundred motor cars in Bahrain,
                      and of these two lorries and one private car are of
                      British make.   The most popular car is the new
                      Ford model.
                      "Pearling Licenses shew a decrease of Rs 1.325/-
                      In 1346-7 there were liconsod 531 pearling oraft.
                      This year there are 527 craft. Owing to a Govern­
                      ment concession to Khammos divers no penalties have
                      been collected this year, which would account for this
                      decrease.
                      "Craft Licenses, show an inoroaso of Rs 220/-. Tho
                      boatbuilding industry is steadily progressing, and
                      the tendency during the past year has been towards
                      larger Bahrain-built Joliboats equipped with British
                      Kelvin engines varying from 25 to 60 horsepower.
                      Those oraft are engaged in cargo work with the  main-
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