Page 407 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (II)_Neat

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CLASS. UNIT Year, 1359. Year, 1360.
PIECE.
Rs. a. p. Rs. a. p.
Japanese : Taffetas 30 yds. 500 10 0 0
„ Prints 30 yds. 600 900
„ Artificial
„ Plain voiles .. 30 yds. 580 10 0 0
„ „ Printed voiles 30 yds. 780 12 0 0
Plain satins 30 yds. 700 12 0 o
„ Cotton longcloth 42 yds. 980 18 0 0
„ Cotton mulls 20 yds. 440 500

G. Import Yard Receipts : The decrease of 17% in the receipts from Import Yard collections
which are made upon the volume, not the value, of imports is consistent with the varying quantities
shewn above.

B. Native Craft: The decrease of ten per cent in Native Craft receipts may best be accounted
for by the decrease in visits in Bahrain of large sea-going craft from Iraq and Africa, the latter craft
being engaged more actively in their own neighbourhood on war transport, and the Iraq craft
being very profitably concerned in direct voyages to and from India in the transport of foodstuffs,
a traffic to which a number of larger Bahrain craft have been diverted. I give below a comparison
of the visits of native craft to this port:

COMPARATIVE VISITS OF NATIVE CRAFT.
ORIGIN. Year. 1359. Year, 1360.
Arabian Mainland 614 540
Koweit 62 82
Oman Coast 193 250
Iran Coast 349 422
Iraq 132 62
India 75 109
Africa 18 8

Total 1.443 L473

C. Parcels Post Receipts : shew a slight increase ; and here it may well be remarked that the
Indian Post Office service to Bahrain is of very great service to a number of smaller tradesmen who
regularly import their stocks by this method.
D. Passengers’ Baggage: The decrease by 76 per cent in the receipts from this source is
interesting to note, and is explained by the almost complete cessation of the old practice of regular
deck passengers bringing from India quantities of marketable goods which otherwise would be
steamers’ cargo.
2. Pearling Licences: The budgetted estimate of Rs. 20,000 has remained unchanged for
several years, but the actual collections from this source, namely Rs. 12,144, exceed the previous
year by Rs. 792. Perhaps this may be taken as a hopeful sign of improvement in the industry, which
is most unlikely although after the end of the season there was some unexpected sales activity in
India in the medium type of pearl which that market absorbs; but no permanent improvement may
be looked for until after the war. It is to be noted, however, that more local craft went out on
' khammas ’, co-partnership than in the previous year.
3. Craft Licences : The collections from this source, Rs. 2,228 shew a deficit of Rs. 183 below
the previous year. Since the month of renewal, Rajab, now falls during the Pearling Season, the
renewal fees are collected earlier in the year, and consequently fewer late fees are paid; also there
were fewer craft to be renewed.

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