Page 179 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (III)_Neat

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The collection of rents amounted toRs.44.600 about Rs.12.000, more than in 1362, the increase
was due to the higher rents obtained from gardens. It is proposed to increase all house rents by
io per cent, from the beginning of 1364.
Interest on loans amounted to Rs.8,500. Money is lent to the public against mortgages on
property or on gold at a regular scale of interest. Though technically this is contrary to Islamic
law yet it has the approval of the members of the committee who are leading Moslem merchants
and notables. The practice of taking interest has always existed in Bahrain but to be within the
strict letter of the law interest is not added to the loan but the equivalent of the interest is deducted
in kind or in cash when the loan is paid to the borrower.

Over Rs. 17,000 was recovered from debtors who owed money to estates under the adminis­
tration of the department, in almost every case the recover}' of these debts was effected without
resort to the courts.

The department paid Rs.37,700 in allowances to minors and disbursed Rs.68,800 to persons
attaining their majority. Some repairs and alterations were made to the property of the late Haj
Abdul Rehman Zayani and the house of the heirs of Abdu Ali bin Rajab was altered and made suitable
for a school and let to the Government on satisfactory terms.
Loans amounting to Rs. 1,27,500 were made during the year, this sum together with the sum
outstanding, totalled Rs.2,10,900.

RECEIPTS. EXPENDITURE.
Rs. a. p. Rs. a. p.
Proceeds of fourteen estates 57.i8i 3 0 Maintenance allowances, etc. 37,728 o 0
Rents of leases collected 44,668 0 9 Properties bought for minors 4.438 o o
Refund of loans advanced 86,313 9 o Repairs and upkeep of
Interest on loans 8.577 2 3 properties 12,581 5 6
Proceeds of properties sold 21,291 5 6 Payment in cash to persons
Old debts recovered 17,282 8 8 attaining their majoiity .. 68.331 6 5
Balance from 1362 .. 2.33.014 6 4 Loans advanced 1,27,512 0 9
Balance at Bank 2,17,737 6 10
Rs. .. 4.68,328 3 6 Rs. .. 4.68,328 3 6

AGRICULTURE.

Owing to the high price of Bahrain dates during the last two years many date gardens have
changed hands at profitable prices to the sellers and the owners of gardens have been stimulated
to take more interest in their property. It is estimated that during the 1363 planting season about
50,000 young date trees were put into Bahrain gardens, many of them on land where date palms
had not previously been grown. Towns folk who used not to be interested in gardens have invested
money in date gardens and this has contributed to the present abnormal land prices in Bahrain.
More vegetables were grown during -the year in response to the increased demand mostly
from foreigners for both European and indigenous varieties. In the Berbar and Bilad al Qadim
districts many garden owners planted vegetable instead of lucerne. Cabbages which used to be
sold at Rs.4 per 100 were bought in the market at Rs.40 to Rs.50 per 100, tomatoes which before
the war sold at about Rs.4 per maund were bought at Rs.48 per maund and turnips previously
sold at Rs.1-8 per maund fetched as much as Rs.14 per maund. The price of lucerne rose consider­
ably, this was due to the increased demand for milk and for fodder for livestock, lucerne is still the
most profitable all round crop though the price of Bahrain lucerne seed, which is superior to imported
seeds, is very high. In one garden at Muharraq Rs.20,000 was realised from the sale of melons
grown from imported seed.
Apart from dates very little fruit is produced in Bahrain, experiments have been made in
growing a number of species but mostly without success. The salty soil and the presence of brackish
water a few feet below the surface causes most fruit trees to die soon after they are planted but