Page 380 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (IV)_Neat

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AUTOMATIC TELEPHONES
In March 1949 the automatic telephone system, which was installed by Cable & Wireless, Ltd.,
came into action after lengthy negotiations between the Government, the Merchants’ Association
and the Company. The subject of the negotiations was the conditions of the agreement and the
charges. It was finally agreed that the rates should be Rs. 120 per annum for telephone hire with
three free calls daily and additional calls at one anna per call.
In February 1951 the Company informed the Government that an increase in rates was essential
to cover the cost of extensions and to convert the loss which the Company was suffering, under the
present conditions, into a small profit over a period of years.
Because the matter was one which affected most of the merchants and shopkeepers His High­
ness called a meeting of the Merchants’ Association and discussed the matter with them. As was to
be expected all were strongly opposed to the proposed increase in charges especially as the demand
for an increase came so soon after the undertaking had commenced. The increase, taking into con­
sideration the cancellation of free calls, amounted to about double the old charges.
A number of meetings were held between representatives of the company and the Government
and the merchants. The Merchants’ Association requested the Government to take over the whole
scheme, in fact to nationalise it, and to run it as a public service. This, however, the Government
were not prepared to consider. Eventually after some months, the members of the committee of the
Merchants' Association reluctantly agreed to an increase in the annual rate from Rs. 120 to Rs. 172
provided that the allowance of three free calls a day was continued. The Company, however, refused
to agree to three free calls. After further discussions the Government accepted the increased rates,
for the time being, with the assurance from the Company that should world prices fall in future, suffi­
ciently to justify a reduction in the rates, then the matter would again be examined. The Merchants
Association informed the Government that its members as a body were thoroughly dissatisfied with
the manner in which the matter had been concluded and with the wording of the assurance which
was not acceptable to them.

AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT
(Report by Mr. J. T. Edmond, Agricultural Officer.)
This first year of the Agricultural Department has been a difficult one in many respects. How
ever, the initial period of establishment has been passed, and indeed much has been achieved.
mental Centre (of thirty acresl pr*'S^lt,^W0 Government lands in cultivation : the Budeya Experi-
which was closed on 4th Safar «! r !*0S,abia Nursery Garden (of twelve acres), the tenancy of
ning of the year, and there was ^an^S wcre *n a deplorable state of dereliction at the begin-
a limited scale. Nevertheless tern^ * W°r^ be*ore Panting could be allowed, and then only on
and seed, and a number of varieT^T^ VC^Clables were 8rown in the winter season for consumption,
the opportunity for exploratory6 ^ ^ cxPer‘mcnts» undertaken. In the summer season,
and Egypt, but sub-troDical fr„!T^ j ^ pro*”bitcd, owing to the late arrival of seeds from the Sudan
P iruits and vegetables were grown, mostly from local seed.
considerably since their arrival, althoiTh k *Stan ^a*ucil^tan) toward the end of 1369 have improved
was not completely clean until RabiaTl^ * ^ attaclc °* s^eeP scab broke out in Safar and the flock
there has been no disease or ailment \ °W*n^ to °f an efficient dipping medium: otherwise
>n its new environment. It is not ho^ ^ °* mcntion* and it may be said that the flock is thriving
venture. The total flock at the year unt*cr Present conditions of management, an economic
being to His Highness. ° nurnbercd seventy-three, the only sale, forty-three rams.

One of the principal aims of the Department is to advise and give practical assistance to local
commercial growers, and there is undoubtedly much that can be done in this respect.