Page 707 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

105 ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF
Quarantine was in force against Basrah and Mohammerah from 7th
August to 20th November; against
Quarantine.
Maskat from 5th April to 25th June; and
against Bushire from 5th May to 9th July. Bahrain was itself an infected
port from 29th April to 27th July and 27th November 1911 to 7th January
1912.
The management of the quarantine left much to be desired. The staff
maintained by Shaikh Isa is inadequate and the regulations were not pro­
perly enforced either on board ship or on land. Constant expostulations
were made by the Agency, but without more than momentary effect. All that
the personal effort of one individual could do was done by Assistant Surgeon
Monani.
The disloyal conduct of Shaikh Isa’s cousins, Shaikh Hamad-bin-Muham-
mad and his con Khalifah-bin-Hamad,
Shaikh Iea'a A (Taira and Family.
has been mentioned above.
There has been no other development of any significance in the family
history.
Shaikh Muhammad-bin-Ahmed-al-Khalifah died of plague, in May 1911,
and Shaikh Abdullak-bin-Ali-bin-Muhammad-al-Khalifah of cholera, in
November.
The year appears to have been on the whole a prosperous one commer­
cially. Cost of living and rates of
Commerce.
wages continue to rise and are excessively
high. One reecon for this is the debauching nature of the pearl industry
which has been discussed at greater length in the Trade Report for 1910.
Another is the inefficiency of the arrangements for landing and deliver­
ing cargo which lecds to much destruction of goods and less of time and so
enhances the price of imported articles. As Bahrain produces practically
notbing, the term “ imported articles ” comprises all the necessaries of life.
The substitution of a fortnightly for a weekly ecrvicc of steamers by the
British India Steam Navigation Com­
Britiih India Steam Navigation Company, pany, Ltd., with effect from May has
Ltd.
caused considerable inconvenience.
Mail connection with India and even Bushire has been made very slow.
Occasional intermediate steamers do not help much as they are always more
or less unexpected.
The German firm of Messrs. Wonckhaus continues to carry on what can
only be a factitious business. There is
The German Firm of R. Wimckhaus & Co. good reason to believe that their experts
of shells and barley can only result in
loss, and their import business is small. To judge from the cases which they
bring to the Agency Court they must incur large loss by making advances to
unreliable persons of no substance; and they say they bring up only their
most hopeful cases.
The most striking development of the year has been the starting of the
M Arab Steamers Company, Ltd., owned
Arab Steamer* Company, Ltd.
principally by Arabs and registered at
Bombay. So far, however, this development has been of little practical
consequence. The cargo carried to or from this port has been negligible. Id
autumn a large number of Haj passengers were secured. The local Agent
is Yusuf Kanoo.
The Customs Administration has been carried on fairly efficiently under
Th. culm the direction of Seth T. Maharaj, the
most capable man in Bahrain. The
system of giving long credit in some cases and less in other has led to a few
complaints. The Director’s position is no doubt far from an easy one, and
the total refusal of credit would incense the Bahrainis.
Some question having been raised as to the transhipping charges pay*
able on_ goods passing through Bahrain for foreign ports, reference was made
to Shaikh Isa. He replied that the general charge was 2£ per cent, with
certain exceptions, which he was eventually induced to give in detail. The