Page 725 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

69
FOR T1IK YEAR 1019.
There lias been very little serious crime in the town during the year.
Education.—Except for the Day and Night School conducted by the
Rev. Mr. Calvcrly of the American Mission, there aro no educational facilities
outside those ollered in the Koranic schools which here, as in other places, ouly
each a sufficiency of Arabic to enable the pupils to read the Koran,
Medical and Sanitation.—As the Assistant Surgeon’s post has been vacant,
the Agency Charitable dispeusary remained closed throughout the year under
review.
No sanitary arrangements exist in Kuwait, and there is no idea of syste­
matic conservancy. Those who live near the sea-shlre, use it for the purpose
of nature, the inhabitants of the outskirts use the open desert and those of the
-central quarters their house tops, or pits dug on the road-side or, in the
less frequented quarters, the road side itself. Here refuse matter is allowed to
accumulate.
There are no scavengers but the principal streets are generally fairly clean,
being swept by the breeze which blows intermittingly almost throughout the
year.
Police.—The Shaikh does not keep special men for police work but uses hia
retainers for this purpose whenover required. In addition to these there are
about 60 night guards, mostly Beloochies from the Mekran Coast, for watching
the shops at night.
Labour —Is expensive in Kuwait. The following are the present rates of
•daily wages for the different handicraft : —
Rs.
Head Mason 10 with food.
Assistant Mason • 1 H l»
Labourer 4 II >1
Master carpenter . 10 „ U
Assistant carpenter P « *1
Nail driver . 6 „ >i
Coolie • 3 ,i ,i
The above rates were 50 to 75 per cent, lower before the war.
Honours list.—Four honours were conferred during the year as follows ;—•
New Year’s Honours’ List . C. S. I. to Ills Excellency Shaikh S.diin
Birthday Honours’ List . . O. B. E. to Dr. C. S. G. Mylrea, American
. Mission.
. Khan Bahalur to Ktnn Sahib Mulla
Saleh bin Mohammud, Chief Secretary
to Shaikh of Kuwait.
. Khan Sahib' to Abdul Latif bin Abdu
ii
Jalil, Director of Customs.
Kuwait Mission to England.—In August 1919 His Excellency the
Shaikh of Kuwait was invited to send his nephew, Shaikh Ahmad bin * Jabir,
to London as a guest of His Majesty’s Government. Though he wrote a cordial
reply accepting the invitation it is understood he - was very perturbed at the
ohoice of Shaikh Ahmad. If the selection bad been left to himself be would
most probably have decided in favour of his own son, ’Abdullah, whom he has
for a long lime been trying to bring into prominence with a view to the
succession, but who would make about as unsatisfactory a ruler as Shaikh Salim
himself is. It is well, therefore, that he was left without a choice.
Shaikh Ahmad, with a suite of three, left for England on August 28th end
arrived there on October 13th. Major Bowman, Director of Education in
’Iraq, was in charge of t-lio party until its arrival in England when Mr. Philby
relieved him. On October 27th, Captain McCollum, who had been on leave
in England, was given charge and Shaikh Alimad was by him presented to
Their Majesties the King and Queen and* Her Royal Highness Princess Mary
at.Buckingham Palhco on October 30tli. The Shaikh read an address to the
King thanking him for the great honour bestowed on him by the i-eoeption*

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