'Summary of correspondence relative to the administration of the Port of Basrah and measures for the control of the shipping traffic in Mesopotamia.' [‎23v] (46/134)

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(2) All plans of wharves, landing stages, etc., which you specially asked me
to bring from Rangoon.
It is impossible to do any drawing office work without the contents of this case.
Case No. 151. Containing 1 brass camp lantern.
„ J} 7. ,, stores for repairs to boats, etc.
„ „ 28. „ special bottles for water sampling.
Package No. 36. Containing special timber for repairing sampans.
Packages Nos. 62 to 67. Containing all oars for boats and sampans.
„ „ 68 and 69. Containing four teak wood tide gauges.
„ ,, 50 to 61. Containing long bamboos for survey marks.
107 and 108. Containing 2 reels with wire sounding line each
1.000 feet long marked every 10 feet.
River surveys cannot he started without these sounding lines.
Package No. 127. Containing 12 life buoys.
„ ,, 129. Containing stands for drawing tables.
Packages Nos. 109 to 119. Containing survey poles.
Package No. 131. Containing survey poles.
Packages Nos. 70, 75, 78, 83, 98 and 105. Containing rope, oakum and
general stores for survey purposes.
Package No. 132. Containing survey tent-umbrella.
Packages Nos. 133 to 138, 139 to 143. Teak and junglewood plants for re
pairs to boats and sampans.
180 to 183. Teak wood rod floats for velocity observation and
3 anchors.
For your information I would like to state that what impressed me most on
visiting the " Havildar Custodian; police sergeant; jail or prison guard. " was the lack of supervision and consequent atmosphere
of indifference that enveloped the unloading operations. Empty mahailas were to
be seen lying alongside and no attempt being made to load them . othci mahailas
were leaving short of full loads : briefly it seemed to be no one's business to see
either that the cargo was unloaded or that the mahailas were being used to the best
advantage.
The delay in discharging the <c Havildar Custodian; police sergeant; jail or prison guard. " was largely due, in my opinion, to
lack of supervision, want of method and shortness of working hours. It is fre
quently stated that such like delays are due to a shortage of lighterage craft, but
the origin of the trouble is lack of system and if the working hours were increased
and good supervision employed the mahailas might be found to be sufficient in
number. As things are now the lighterage craft is not used to the best advantage
and it will continue to be inadequate until system and method are incorporated
in the proceedings. One cannot reasonably look for perfection in a poit during
a state of war, but the introduction of a few simple business ideas would transform
the present chaos into reasonable order and one would not look for more in the
circumstances.
(Sd.) ERNEST C. NIVEN,
Assistant Director, River Conservancy^