Page 237 - Bahrain Gov annual reports(V)_Neat

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REVIEW OF 1955
Financially and commercially the State enjoyed a prosperous year, the fact that the revenue
was less than it had been in the previous year was due to certain back oil payments having been
received in 1954, and the increase in customs receipts was an indication of flourishing conditions
in the bazaar. All over Bahrain, not only in the towns but also in the villages, new houses
appeared, built of solid stone and cement, taking the place of palm branch “barasti” dwellings.
Other signs of prosperity were the increase in travelling abroad, the greater use of motor
vehicles and radios ; the latter have now become essential in almost every house, and the
quantities of tinned foods on sale in even the smallest shops. In the bazaar several Bahrain
merchants associated themselves with British firms and engaged in important local projects and
discussions were resumed about the possibility of starting a local bank with capital subscribed
in Bahrain, but in this project, as in all other attempts to form local companies, personal or
commercial interests made co-operation extremely difficult.
Throughout the year, however, there was a feeling of political unrest and insecurity which
at intervals became acute when opposition was organised against the Government over such
matters as the introduction of a Penal Code, a long-felt want, which for some years was one of
the reforms demanded by a section of the public, and when the Government decided to introduce
compulsory third-party insurance on motor vehicles. The opposition to the Code was an
entirely political movement, the objection to the insurance was partly political and partly
because owners of public vehicles did not wish to pay higher premiums.
The “Higher Executive Committee” continued to hold public meetings in mosques, at
which political speeches were made, and to issue pamphlets and notices attacking both individuals
and institutions, at the same time boycotting such democratic events as the municipal elections.
Two local newspapers had to be suspended owing to their offensive remarks about neighbouring
friendly states, and the Egyptian press began to make Bahrain a subject for violent political
attacks.
During the year the Government set up a committee to prepare a labour law which included
representatives of the Government, of employers and of workers. The committee dealt with
the formation of trade unions and many other problems connected with labour. An Employ­
ment Exchange was opened by the Government with the main object of obtaining work for
unemployed Bahrain subjects. It did not appear, however, that there were very many employ­
able unemployed, although political capital was made out of the fact that the Government did
not stop the entry of Arabs from Oman who came to work in Bahrain.
Conditions of Government employees were improved by the introduction of a generous
pension scheme which is the first Government pension scheme to have been introduced in the
Persian Gulf.
The gas-electric scheme had not been completed by the end of the year though good pro­
gress was made in erecting the pylons which will carry the electric current to towns and villages in
Bahrain. This is one of the largest and most important projects which has been carried out in
Bahrain, but appreciation by the public of the benefits which it will bring is very faint and the
only people who are vociferous in expressing their needs for electricity are the people of the
villages which will not, at first, be on the supply line.
Social services were developed and extended and more schools and hospitals were built.
The difficulty of finding suitable medical and educational staff become more acute each year
and there is an unceasing demand for more schools, clinics and hospitals. In some cases this
demand is amour propre, because one village has a school or a clinic, the neighbouring village
considers that it should have the same.
Progress was made in constructing the stone pier from the land end of the site of the deep
water pier at Jufair, and on the construction of some of the buildings in the new women’s
hospital, on the south side of Manama.
The Budget for 1956 provides only a very small surplus for investment in the Reserve Fund.
Each year the expenditure of the State increases, new hospitals and more schools and larger
armed forces necessitate greater recurrent expenditure. There appears to be small hope of
any increase in oil revenue, unless a new field can be found, and the oil production, as is well
known, will inevitably decrease. There will soon come a time when development on the present
lines will have to slow down, but this is a fact which is not appreciated by the people of Bahrain.
Most of them would prefer to see what remain of the oil reserves expended in a few years at a
aster rate than at present rather than a gradual decrease of production spread over many years.