Page 336 - Records of Bahrain (7) (ii)_Neat

726 Records of Bahrain

/Uonora of/Gray Mackenzie & Company Limited, on the ground that there
./in not ho sufficient water in the approached to the new wharf
to induoo the maatoro of froight-otcamers to uue it und thut
the operational coo to will he enormous. It would aloo appear
to the layman that the wharf which runo north-oast und oouth-
west will ho oxpooed to tho full force of the prevailing
north-west wind. Although Mesors. Gray Mackenzie & Company
may have an axe of thoir own to grind, olnoe they will prooumahly
loee much huaineas if tho prooont lighterage ayotem, which they

monopolioe, ia aholiahod, I think they have good grounds for
thoir apprehensions. So far ao the depth of tho approaches is
concerned, the Admiralty agreed that they should he surveyed hy
H.M. S. "Owen" if her current season's programme permitted.
Unfortunately this programme has been delayed and there now
appears to he no prospect of her carrying out the survey before
she leavos tho Gulf in April. The Ruler will ho most disappoin-
i
ted ao ho has sot his heart on tho project and enquires from
Mr. Bolgrave almost daily whether the work on it has been
slurted. The delay may however prove advantageous if the Bah­
i
rain Government make use of it to give further careful consi­
i
deration to tho project in all its asi)octs, including that of
operational costs which does not appear to have been properly
examined. I have suggested to Mr. Belgrave that another firm
of consultants should he employed to give an opinion on tho
j prooent scheme und to consider poosihle alternatives, One ouch
alternative which I mentioned to him was the widening and

deepening of tho Khor Kaliyah which would give ocean going
steainors access to a pheltered anchorage about a mile from the
head of the old British Oversous Airways Corporation Jetty at
Manama h. The construction of u causeway here would ho a much
simpler end cheeper project that the one st present under
consideration. I have discussed this proposal with Captain
Menzieo of II. M, S. "Owen" who at first eight conoidors it fully

feasible though tho widening of tho entrance to the Khor Kaliyah
/would

■