Page 184 - Records of Bahrain (4) (ii)_Neat

406 Records of Bahrain
;ji . 2 .

yugCat Civil Liot suggesting that it might aaoiot me in detirmininc,
,j1(. allowances here, The implication v/aa that I, Shaikh named'u
jjviscr, ohould decree my employer'o allowance and that of hio

rvl,itiono.
I think you will agree that for rue to do this would be
neither politic nor posoible. Any ouggostiono on the oubject
:
jhftuld come from another quarter.
In case any action mo.y be taken in the matter I make the
following remark3 and suggestions.
In Bpite of conctant intermarriage the Khalifa family is
rtpidly increaaing. Ab each young Shaikhling marries his father
!
expects that he will be given an allowance from the State, Not
only does Shaikh Hamed rccieve constant requests for new allowance*,
but present holders arc inceosantly asking for more, usually on
tl.c grounds that their families are increasing, or their gardens
net producing enough rents. With the exception of two or three
xenbers none of the Khalifa attempt to earn a living, they think ,
any form of trade ia beneath their dignity,and work in any of

'.he Government offices is degrading. None of the peroons on the
Civil List, except the Shaikh's brothers, v/ill perform any public
I- services unleo3 they are handsomely paid to do so. With a fcw
i sxceptiono the Khalifa family are lazy, almost illiterate, and

entirely without public spirit, I myself very much doubt their
ienuine alliegancc to Shaikh Hamed. In the paot a member of the
Khalifa family held certain prestige but in these dayo this has
fallen away from them except in the case of the three or four
Mg nhaikh8. I do not think anyone iB to blame except themselves.
Hite is partly due to increase in education and travelling. The
Khalifa are far behind the merchant claoo in this respect.
The wealth of the family is very considerable, they own all the
beot date gardeno in Bahrain,
but fey/ take tho trouble to
look after the cultivation and consequently the value of the
property decreases, The cost to the State of supporting this
family is Rs 5,15,000, at present.
the Ci il List is, rightly, that of
The largeot allowance on