Page 146 - Records of Bahrain (4) (i)_Neat

134 Records of Bahrain

taxes iri kind, exporting all animals taken jn taxation to
’ places like Kuwait or A1 /\hso where no etaxkixx doubt a ,
•' ,>'?r
ready market could bo found for them; ar.d establishing .the • ,c
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principle that credit can only be allowed to the. owners • of : >
animalo taken in taxation after deducting expenses of
deportation and sale. It is possible that a certain limited
number of animals may be required for State purposes,
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especially messenger sowars for Shaikhs Hamad and Abdulla.
It would be necossary to limit the number of these State
comelG as much as poscible; and I feel sure that a very' good
effect would be produced if Shaikhs Hamad and Abdulla, while
providing for the exemption of State camels from taxation,
should themselves submit to pay taxes for all such camels as
they own in their private capacity. If the tax should be
found unusually fruitful, it might he found practicablejto
arrange for the protection of gardens ar.d villages by fencing
or ditches, impassable to camels. It is possible that these
may be deemed counsels of perfection but I believe that if
the object of the taxation, i.e. the extinction of camels or.
the islur.d, were kept steadily in view and industriously
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pursued, a fruitful sourco of quarrel between the two sects
might gradually be eliminated.
Under local examination, the broad lir.es I have
sketched oub above would probably be radically altered; and
only local examination can decide how far and how speedily
it is practicable to carry out this design; but I desire that
I the project be specially placed before Shaikh Hamad by
| yourself as coming from me ar.d indicating that this is a.
! measure of reform of the kind which Hi6 Majesty's Government
very distinctly cortcmpluted. at the time of the laet. Bahrain
settlement. He must exert his influence to remove the root
causes of the disputes between the two rival communities, and
it is probably less by draetic punishment of individuals than
by steady legislation introduced slowly and steadily pursued
by

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