Page 174 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (I)_Neat

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consultation with the heads of the diving community the amount
was settled et Us. 80/- for a diver and Rs. 60/- for a puller,
in each case Rs. 2C/- less than last year. J3. proclamation
was issued but the divers refused to go out on this amount.
The persons who had first asked for this emount to be laid
down requested from the Government that an increase should
be node. There wa3 a certain amount of trouble and some

danger of disorder, though none actually ocurred. Finally
it was settled that each diver might take an advance, up to
P.s. 20/-, from his tisgam allowance at the end of the season.
At this time a number of Nekhodas urged Sheikh Hamad to revert
to the old state of things and to allow unlimited and unregul-
£ted advances. The prevention of the unlimited advances and
the institution of regular amounts laid down by law were two
of the most important features of the Reforms.
A significant proof of the value of the Reforms is
the fact that ^uite lately the Buler of C>tcr instituted diving
lews in his country on the same lines as those in Bahrain.
In connection with the diving question it is interest­
ing to notice that Lady Simon, in her book "Slavery" quotes
from Dr. Harrison’s n^rab at Home" stating that divers never*
get out of debt and that in seven years he never net a diver
who had freed himself. Dr. Harrison’s book was written about
.five years ago I'/.I ; his remarks on divers debts, and various
other matters, were probably true at that time but they are
not the cese now,
Electrification of Manamah.
The project of introducing electricity into Manemah
has been under 3Kg consideration for five years or more and
for some time funds were aet aside in Bombay for the purpose.
Until 1928 nothing definite wus done the matter.

In that year the Bahroin Government obtained from the Government'*
of Indie the services of Yx, Stevenson, Electrical Inspector
in Sind, who spent some tine in Bahrain and prepared a scheme
for the lay out with plants and a rough specification. The