Page 101 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (IV)_Neat

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REVIEW OF 1368
'Flic revenue of the State in 1368 was 122 lakhs of rupees, approximately
£915,000 ; customs receipts, which arc to a certain extent dependent on the oil
industry, produced 59 lakhs and the oil royalty amounted to 491 lakhs. The State
spent 113} lakhs. Most of this expenditure was upon social and public services such
as Education, Public Health, Protection, Electricity and the Town Water Supply.
Administration and Government departments cost about nine lakhs.
Several important works were completed during the year including the
Manama town water supply, the installation of additional plant in the Government
power house, metalling of certain main roads, the completion of the new Government
offices, known as Bab al Bahrain and extensions to schools and hospitals and improve­
ments to the pier facilities.
Bahrain enjoyed another prosperous and peaceful year. Trade thrived and
the island’s commerce was not appreciably affected by the dollar crisis ; the number
of new shops and houses in Manama was an indication of flourishing conditions.
There was an active demand for labour both in Bahrain and in neighbouring states.
Bahrain Arabs continued to emigrate in large numbers to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and
elsewhere, where they earned high wages working in oil companies and for con­
tractors. It is estimated that in the neighbourhood of 5,000 Bahrain men are
engaged in work abroad, their places at home being filled by Arabs mostly from the
Trucial Coast and Oman who came to Bahrain to find work.

There was no rise in the basic cost of living. The Government continued to
buy and sell to the public at controlled prices certain essential foodstuffs such as
wheat, rice and sugar which were issued as rations. The Government would
welcome the end of all rationing, which is a burden on the administration, but each
time the merchants have been given a free hand there has been profiteering and a
rise in prices. For the time being the only safeguard appears to be the retention of
rationing. Dates, which are one of the principal items of diet among the rich and
the poor, became very expensive owing to an exceptionally bad date harvest in
Bahrain and in Iraq ; as a temporary measure, to reduce their price, the Government
waived the customs duty on imported dates. Locally grown dates provide about
half of the quantity which is consumed in Bahrain but the area of date cultivation
is steadily increasing.
There was little crime of a serious nature, most of the matters dealt with by
the police were traffic cases, petty theft and offences against the liquor regulations.
The use of liquor by Arabs in Bahrain, which is a Moslem state, is viewed seriously
by His Highness the Ruler, but unfortunately it is a habit which is spreading rapidly
and which will continue to spread as long as liquor is brought into the country.
The people of Bahrain are unusually law-abiding, the average number of persons
who are convicted of criminal offences every year is 230 ; the population, of which
a new census is to be taken next year, is estimated at 106,000.
Good progress was made in Public Health and in Education, new clinics and
hospital wards were opened during the year, the increase in patients being not a sign
of greater ill-health in the country but proving that every year the people are more
ready to seek medical help. The schools were full and the demand for education