Page 581 - PERSIAN 8 1931_1940_Neat

31
Strength on
Nature.
let January 31st December
1938. 1938.
Manama 72 81
Multarraq 51 61
123 135

The Police took part in local defence exercises at the Bahrain Petroleum
Company’s Refinery during the European crisis in September last.
The force is to be raised to -350 Non-Commissioned Officers and men.
Three recruit sections are under training. A small permanent garrison is
kept on Hawar Island.

5. Local Affairs.—(i) In September and October malcontents, making
use of an incipient Nationalist movement manifesting itself (curiously enough)
among the semi-educated youth of the Holi community (the Holis are of
Persian extraction), succeeded in stirring up some agitation in the State.
The agitators were able to make use of a general dissatisfaction in regard
to the Bahrain Couits, and the Shia Shera Courts in particular, and an attempt
was made to foster public dissatisfaction with the State educational system
and with labour conditions in the Bahrain Petioleum Company’s premises.
On the ring-leaders being arrested a premature strike took place among tho
local employees of the Oil Company, and a demonstration was organised
in the Manama bazaar. The demonstrators were quickly dispersed and the
strike failed.
Meanwhile the Shia Shera Courts had been reformed and Shaikh Abdul
Husain A1 Halli was appointed as Qadhi of a Shera Appeal Court. Other
steps are under contemplation for the improvement of the Bahrain Courts
in general, and also of the educational system of the State. The agitation
came to an abrupt end with striking demonstrations of loyalty by the leading
Arabs of Bahrain and by the Bahama of the villages.
(ii) Three nakhudas of dhows were arrested and sentenced in early April
for attempting to bring indigent foreigners without passports into Bahrain,
At the same time an extensive round up was made in the bazaars of Persians
and Qatifis who were found without passports and without any ostensible
means of livelihood. 547 persons were arrested by the Police of whom 114
were put before the Agency Court under King’s Regulation 2 of 1937. Ulti­
mately 77 were deported.
(in) The European crisis caused great anxiety in the town. Profiteering
began at once and there was a 20-25 per cent, increase in the prices of some
foodstuffs, notably tea, sugar and coffee.

6. The Bahrain Petroleum Company, Limited.—(i) Mr. J. S. Black was
the Company’s Chief Local Representative throughout the year.
(ii) Mr. C. W. Deacon acted as Resident Manager from the beginning
of tho year to the 1st November 1938, when he was relieved by joint mana^era
Messrs. M. H. Lipp and F. A. Davies, who held charge till the end of°the
year.
(iii) The total number of producing wells at the end of the year was
59 producing wells, two of these being in the " fourth pay ” horizon.
Total production for the year 1938 was 8,297,998 barrels of.crude oil.
„ paid to ^ie Ba^rain Government for the first half of 1938 was
culated’16,180 2 due fc*ie seoon^ half has not yet beeu cal-

23 (S) EAD