Page 243 - Records of Bahrain (4) (ii)_Neat

Bahrain reforms, 1929 545

adminiotrative coot of not more than b por cent. The
improvement in revenue oeemo to have found more or leoa
ito level now, and Hxs Exceiloncy'a claim that Government
ohould guarantee him against loos is perfectly equitable
and i ao not see how elae they can oblige him to
discharge an employee with whom lie is well pleased.
8. it must be remembered that the gradual increase
'in revenue nas been accompanied by an increase in ex-
penditore. Suouiu i..r. ue Grenier's departure result in
a diminution of re venue, which seems inevitable, the
roeults would be most serious. The allowances of the
Al Khalifa family (on u generous and ever expanding
scale; would nave to be drastically reduced, involving
much discontent among a very influential body. JSxpendi-
| ture on public works, education, medical Institutions,

] land registration, courts and police; in iact all tne
1 benciita arising; trom tne reiorais, would nave to be cut
\
aov/n as t(«ey are dependent lor their existence on the
present high ratejof customs collections.
9. 1 confess l can tmnk of no alternative to Mr.
de Grenier. A customs officer on duputation v/ould pre-
3iunably be equally unacceptable to Government, and there
is no one in the State, as the Shaikh observes, to
replace nlin. Tne Hindus to whom tne Customs were
formerly 1 armed out proved a lailure, and the method
itself is objectionable. An hlgyptiqn or Syrian would
probably uo less efficient, and my experience of Syrian
customs officials leads mo to think that theyvould be
less honest. i«r. de Grenier is well liked by the
merchants and thelsnaikh, and as sir Frederick pointed
I in
out to the Government, residents lib tfce Gulf are well
used to seeing foreign advisers employed.
10. In short, if there be any objection to the
employment of Mr do Grenier, it certainly does not come

from Bahrain where his services are appreciated, and if