Page 234 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (III)_Neat

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LAND REGISTRATION DEPARTMENT.
(From the report of Mr. Addul Aziz, Acting Superintendent, Land Registration Department.)

The boom in land values, which has now lasted for three or four years, continued during 1364
but towards the end of the year it showed some signs of slackening. Though prices remained high
there were fewer sales and property put up to auction failed to attract as many bidders as before. It
docs not at present seem probable that there will be a sudden drop in land values as was the case after
the 1914-18 war in some of the middle cast countries. A factor which has probably affected the
value of date gardens is the fall in the price of Bahrain dates which was not controlled in 1364 and
which went down as a result of the import of Iraq dates. Date gardens were bought and sold during
the war with the unlikely expectation of local date prices remaining at their high peak. Another
profitable form of investment was in open well watered land which could be used for growing lucerne,
this crop now produces handsome dividends.
The following were some of the principal sales during the year :—
Rs.
1. Part of an Amara in Feriq Al-Fadl, Manamah 53.00°
2. House, near Manamah market ....................... 43.000
3. Garden on the Mani Road................................. 78.000
During the year 941 properties were registered including 691 sales valued at Rs. 24,73,000.
The sale registration fees on this sum were Rs. 20,831. The remaining transactions consisted of
registration of titles, gifts and transfers which brought in Rs. 2,500 in fees. The question of a slight
increase in registration fees on sales is under consideration.
Very few land cases remained pending at the end of the year, this was due to the new arrange­
ments in the Bahrain Court which resulted in the hearing and final disposal of a number of pending
cases. Cases which were forwarded to the courts were dealt with without undue delay.
The number of plots of land which were rented to the public was 267, these are occupied mainly
by foreigners, generally Persian coolies, who live in barasti huts. The tenants arc liable to be given
a month's notice to vacate the ground should it be required by the Government. Small owners who
possess the land on which they live are by degrees building stone houses instead of barastis. The
collection of rents was Rs. 4,728 which included the rent of land leased by the Royal Air Force, a
Government shop and land leases which are in many cases nominal.

Fees for fish trap licenses and experimental sites amounted to Rs. 780.
For some months in the year there were no revenue stamps as those on order from England
failed to arrive so fees for registrations were deposited in the Accounts Department. Before the end
of the year the new supply of stamps reached Bahrain.
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The work of acquiring the land on the side of Manamah-Radm-al-Kawari road which was
required in order to widen the road was undertaken by the Land Registration Department. Com­
pensation of over Rs. 22,000 was paid to the owners of the gardens adjoining the road for date palms
which had to be cut down, for land and for the cost of rebuilding fences and irrigation channels. This
work entailed lengthy negotiations and prices were paid according to the age and quality of the trees.
Three houses adjacent to the Power House were taken over by the Government at a price
assessed by a committee.

JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT.
(From the report of Mr. Salim Al-Arayad, Superintendent of the Judicial Department.)

Justice is administered to the people of Bahrain in the Bahrain Courts which are presided
over by Arab magistrates who are members of the Ruling Family appointed by the Ruler, by Sunni
and Shia religious judges, who have separate Shara courts owing to the difference in their religious

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