Page 163 - 4 Persian Trade rep KUWAIT 2_Neat

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Department of the Iraq Government. Foreign of Kuwait Town and it is fonnd*in several other
rates of postage and telegram cLargcs are applicable parts of the principality,
from Kuwait to the United Kingdom and other " Oil" indications in the shape of 2 bitumen
countries. Mails for the United Kingdom and the and oil surface springs exist in the hinterland but
continent are despatched from Kuwait cni the whether these can be worked commercially has yet
Overland route, Baghdad-IIaifuh, and take 14 days to be seca.
on an average. Letters can also be sent by the
Air Mail at Basrah both to Europe and India, Domestic Animals.
parcels from the United Kingdom for Kuwait take
o to 3 weeks by the above-mentioned Overland route. The most valuable domestic animals are camels,
and the C. O. D. and Insurance systems are also of which there arc large numbers, sheep, goats and
available. donkeys, of the latter many of a large white breed
The Kuwait Motor Transport Company which originally from Hassa, are found in the Town. Tb*se
is also under a Postal Contract with the Iraq arc sometimes over 13 hands in height, and a good
Posts and Telegraphs Department for the convey- ®nc fetch about £2<>. There are also some
ance of both sea mails from India and Overland horses and a few horned cattle.
Mails from Basrah and n'c* ccrsJ continued to
function between Kuwait and Zuhair, and maintained
the road in good condition. The fare by this com­ Agriculture.
pany's motors is eight shillings per seat and tlie Neither Kuwait nor its environments can Lust
journey each way on an average occupies four of any agricultural resources. There are no date
hours. plantations of any value, no fields, and not i:::nv
kitchen gardens. The villages to the south—asr.
Sea Fisheries. of Kuwait supply a limited but increasing qiiar.titv
The onlv truly local produce of Kuwait is that vegetables and melons. The agricultural centre
vielded by the harbour nsb-ries which are a valuable jn ^K’ principality is Jahrah which has greatly
a-sett. Besides tloat-and-weight-nets and lines, improved during the year owing to the fa'ii!*i*;s
trajis or tidal w«*irs constructed of reed burdl-s are a Horded by motor transport in taking the products
aLo employed : the nsh vn:* r tii«*m with tie* ilowinj ,n*° tow?i. There are aoii»e 2.-ei«j date trees. 1 b**
tide and are left b-btn l at the « i,b. The majority "'T* an* bar’-y and so:::** i
*■{ the fish cau-_d:t :s <vi>ui:n d locally, i.ut a small vegetables are ah-» grown it: in.-reasmg quant.* • s.
proportion is drie*l anJ exported to Basrah and The above crops are mostly irrigated, bur a ?
elsewhere. amount of wheat and barley is grown by r-iutui.
alone. Tbe agriculture of Jahrah might be coli-
snb-rablv increased if more money were sunk it.
Boat Building.
it.
Twenty-one boats (of which five fitted with motor
power of British Make) of an aggregate value of The next important agricultural centre is the
£2.027 were built in Kuwait during the year under . island of Faiickah where wheat and barley are
grown with some suoc-s.- on the clayey ]»^‘eh**s.
report. Of t!)••-•• one had a carrying capacity of aiso so Me vegetables v.-pech.liy carrots, which ui«
113 tons and xl;** r.--t were of IL** larg** 4u feet JSam-
huq type. Th-se figures are not included in the of an exceptionally fine quality. but the agrieul: ure
of the i-ri-nd is generally inferior to that of Jahrah.
trade report. 31 any smaller rowing boats were
also built, wliich i: is unnecessary to ••numerate.
RainfalL
Labour.
The total rainfall during 11:— year under report
The price of labour remained nearly the same as was 3-37* and was destributvd as follows:—
for the previous year. An unskilled lalxjuror earned
from lx. c1./. to 2 shillings, a carpenter from 4 shillings
to eight shillings, a mason from 2x. $</. to 9 shillings
and a boat builder from 4 <hiliiug to eight shillings April 1929 \i2
per diem. .May 1929 . •II
October 1929 . *11
Minerals. November 1929
The only mineral product worked is gypsum December 1929 . . 212
mortar, whuh is manufactured by the simple pro­ January 1930 •
cess of firing rubbish in broad shallow excavations. February 1930 • *»2
There is a large gypseferous tract on the outskirts March 1930^ . -04