Page 260 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

113 FER8IAN GULF ADMINISTRATION IlKPOttT

At tho ond of 1912, tho Government of India directed that tho §b

ments without delay. Ho was asked to do this at tho beginning of 1913
his proposals were sent up by the Political Agent early in February. Tho*m •
features were that tho Agents of Shipping Companies should bo given th*
option of landing cargo brought by their Companies* steamers on payment of
5 per cent, on the gross landing f**cs, that the Shaikh should appoint a Wav*
house Superintendent who would receive the goods from the Companies* A^cmt
at the jetty, sort and store them, and issue them to the consignees, who woui(j
themselves undertake the removal of the goods to their houses or warehouses
It was first proposed to give this concession to shipping companies for 3 years,
hut tho time was subsequently increased to 10 years.
Tho Shaikh duly appointed his Customs Director to supervise with a
Warehouse Superintendent under him and, as a temporary measure, nominated
one of his employes Ali bin Abdullah to run the boat arrangements. Up to
the end of the year, however, the Shaikh’s proposals had not been approved
and the temporary landing arrangements are still going on at considerable loss
to the Shaikh and inconvenience to the public. The arrangements when once
the cargo is landed are now working well, and are a great improvement on
those made by the old inefficient Lauding Contractors.
The contract of the last Landing Contractor, Abdul Karim Khadim,
expired on 6th April 1913 and, as mentioned above, his work was split up and
the shore arrangements were put iu the charge of the Director of Customs and
the actual landing in chargo of Ali bin Abdullah.
The special Majlis referred to in last year’s report sat frequently about
the end of Abdul Karim’s time and afterwards and settled a good many claims.
Several claims are still outstanding against him, and Messrs. Gray Paul and
Coy. have not been able to get tlieir accounts of cargo cf steamers, etc., settled
up with him yet. He is a hopeless person to have any business with.
The local interest in this war soon waned and the vast majority of the
population very soon, after the beginning
Interest in the BaR»n War.
of the year, realized that the sum of
B1,0*1-,000, referred to iu last year’s report as having been remitted to Constan­
tinople, might easily have been better spent.
Any interest in the Balkan War which still remained at the beginning of
May was eclipsed by the news of the doings
Interest in Bin Sand.
of Bin Sand (referred to below) which
naturally excited great interest
On the 4th May, a rather serious fight took place between Basris and
Kurdis in the Bazaar. A large proportion
Foreign Bad Characters in Bahrain.
of the Basris in Bahrain are bad characters
who have been obliged to leave Basrah. As a result of the row it was possible
to call on several of the worst characters to give security for good behaviour,
and since that time various steps have been taken against the bad characters
with the result that they have not given any trouble during the last 4 or o
months. It is hoped that this state of affairs will continue since they now, as
the Chief Kazi says, “ have had bits put in their mouths.**
On the whole the Agency has been on good terms with the Shaikh’s
officials and the Cliief Kazi and the popula­
Poaitioo of Agencj.
tion generally. There have not been any
cases which excited acute feeling.
Salih bin Bashid, the “Amir’? of Mnnamah, who is a sort of Deputy
« iiv Governor or Prefect of the town under the
c °""°enL Shaikh, had long been a 4 bete-noire jof the
Agency. It is understood that this gentleman was never a good *• Amir ** even
in his younger days, but for many years past, age and infirmity had made
quite incapable of performing bis duties at all. This, combined with the fa®
that he could not read or write and would never keep up any office es^.
xnent, rendered work with him very trying. It is satisfactory to be able o
state that the Shaikh has at last removed nim from his post. The “