Page 124 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920

114 PERSIAN GULP ADMINISTRATION REPORT
cd from Bombay now in British gold as well as rupees. There is now a f •,
largo supply of sovereigns in circulation, and people prefer them to
Liras as they are exchanged bjr the Shroffs at their full legal rate of Ik.
with sometimes a small premium. Tho oxchango of Maria Theresa Dolf^
dopeuds mostly on the rise and fall of the silver market—in January ft ar*
quoted at Bs. 111J per 100 dollars and by December had risen steadily to ??
rupees per cont. This rise was duo largely to tho considerable number
Bedouin and Nejdi divers leaving for their homes in Contral Arabia at the
of the pearling season and requiring their gains in dollars. Although trans?*
tions are now generally carried on in rupees, merchants prefer to quote prj‘'
for certain commodities in dollars because they obtain a profit thereby on tv
exchange. This, it appears, cannot bo averted so long as dollars remain j*
circulation, and Bedouins insist on payment in that currency. Camels, ljVeQ
stock generally and articles bought from desert tribesmen are those usually
in in dollars.
The postal work of the port, which is still being carried on by tu
Political Agent’s Office, has grown to
Postal Matters.
6uch dimensions that, - in the registration
and parcel branches, there were at one time being received as many as iso
to 180 ordinary and value-payable parcels in a week. Latterly, however
this number has slightly declined owing to an arrangement - by which inward
parcels are delivered to the Shaikh’s Customs for assessment and recovery o{
the import duty on them, which was previously evaded. Under present
arrangements the public have only the facility of sending their fully p^d
correspondence from Kuwait, for no registered articles, parcels nor money
orders can be accepted from them by the Political Agent’s Office for despatch
Consequently merchants, the public and the trade of the port are all severely
handicapped and therefore the remarks in last year’s report cannot be too stronelv
emphasized—that the most urgent need of the port is the very early inaugura’.
tion of a regular Indian Inland post office in Kuwait similar to those in Bahrain
and IZaskat. The matter has already been before the Government cf India
for some years, and it is hoped will receive their favourable consideration and
that they will be pleased to provide a large, flourishing and growing port with
this most elementary necessity of civilization in the very neaj* future.
Another necessity which made itself felt acutely during the past summer
has arisen from the continued growth in
Water Supply.
prosperity and population of Kuwait, that
of an adequate water-supply. It will suffice here to state that the town
has for the past few” years relied for its fresh water supplies almost entirely
on boats plying to and from the Shatt-el-Arab. How precarious must he
this source of supply will be apparent when it is remembered that the
distance is over 60 milest, and the boats are entirely dependent upon wind and
weather for their sailings. The Shaikh has now realized that if water-famines,
which have become almost weekly occurrences, are to be avoided, he must have
a proper water supply system in the town itself whatcrer the method or cost may
be. He requested that Government would assist him with the expert know­
ledge required to determine the merits of various systems and to undertake
the whole project; he further gave them the option of retaining the working iQ
their own hands or of handing it over to him on completion as seemed to them
best. In the latter case he begged that he might be permitted to pay the cost
by some suitable instalments The matter is an urgent one, and if it could w
carried through before the coming summer, would remove a source of grca
anxiety to the whole town. It remains to be seen what scheme it will be most
advantageous to adopt and whether Government will be prepared to extend
their assistance in any shape.
The King Emperor’s birthday was celebrated on the 3rd June in ^
usual way by a distribution of
Celebration*.
the poor, and an evening reception,
Agency being illuminated. The Agency and the Shaikh’s flag-staff s.werc also
dressed throughout the day.
Owing to the Political Agent’s absence on leave no celebration of Dur^
day, on the 12th December, took place.
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