'Muscat: 1908-1928' [‎44r] (9/18)

38. The Government of India endeavoured to meet the situation, to the
seriousness of which the Sultan was fully alive, by lending for four months a
highly qualified European customs official, Mr. Bower, to reorganise the
Muscat customs. At the same time, they agreed, at the request of the
Sultan, to find a competent Englishman to serve as Financial Adviser, look
after the finances of the State, and aid His Highness and the Council with
advice. The Arab Advisory Council established in 1920 (see para. 35)
had proved of no real assistance—the Sultan in 1924 had complained that
they were, “though very worthy persons . . . absolutely useless as
administrators, apart from which they would never come to a decision about
any matter, even unimportant questions” ; and the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. agreed * Tei. 22 t. from
that “the difficulty was to get them to give a decided opinion on any ^ L *
subject.P. 2028/24.
39, The post of Financial Adviser was offered to Mr. B. S. Thomas,
O.B.E., formerly Assistant British representative in Trans-Jordania, who
assumed duty in April 1925, and in 1926 was appointed Wazir Minister. and a
member of the Muscat Advisory Council, functioning primarily as Finance
Minister, but exercising also a full share in the general government of the
State.f Mr. Thomas, who is the servant of the State and not of His t Letter i«3 s. from
Majesty’s*' Government, was engaged on a contract for five years, with Aprif?* me ° f 1 ’
six months’ leave after three years, plus one month’s leave a year, and pay of P- 2077 / 26 .
Rs. 1,500—100—2,000. The terms of his service were approved bv the
. 1 , r T 1* * P. 4289/24.
(rovernment or India.
40. The result of the steps referred to above has been a very marked
improvement. By April 1925 the financial situation could be reported t Letter 102 s. from
more satisfactory than it has been lor some years +; by June the estate April 51925 ,
was reported solvent, and despite§ fluctuations in trade which have been p 1516 / 25 -
reflected in decrease of revenue, the improvement has been maintained. PoVUes ofT 1
An extensive Public Works programme has been initiated, a patrol steamer Au*. 8 1925 ,
lias been secured,|j repayment of the State indebtedness has progressed p - 305o/L>5 -
satisfactorily ; in 1927 the Government of India felt justified in agreeing to AgentRel.,
the extension by 24 years of the period of repayment of the outstanding Dec. 8 1925 ,
balance of the loan granted in 1919 (paras. 28 and 31) above, to enable the 1 3-1 " ,> '
State to open a primary school and make other minor improvements, and in
the same year the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. was able to claim that His Majesty’s
Government “ have put the finances of the State on a sound basis.The Poi. Res. to g. of
situation is the more satisfactory as the 200 miles of quite thickly p| ^Jj^g 1927,
inhabited coastline, and the powerful and often hostile hinterland, necessitate
the maintenance by Muscat of establishments “on a scale which would ** Report by Pol.
appear absurd in a place like Bahrein or Koweit.”** p. g 5435 / 21 . 12 1921 ’
41. The improvement referred to above has been secured for rather
than by the Sultan, although His Highness has on occasion shown a definite
interest in the action taken.ft Sir L. Haworth in March 1928 reported that
“the Sultan is practically worthless as a Ruler, though he takes a certain
interest in seeing that others rule for him.” The Resident continued,
“It was not thought advisable in 1920 to allow him to abdicate, nor do 1
think it desirable now. An absentee Sultan who does not interfere with the
Government has its advantages. It has enabled us to make the arrangement
by which with a Council and a British Wazir Minister. the finances of the State have
been put in order, and there is every hope that in a very few years . . .
it will commence a new career in flourishing circumstances. Until the
Sultan’s son is old enough to take over the reins, the Sultan should if
possible continue.
ft Letter from Pol.
Agent to Pol. Res.,
Aug. 5 1926,
P. 3301 /26.
Pol. Res. to G. of I.,
Mar. 2 1928,
42. The cloud on the horizon at the moment is the attitude of the tribes
at Sur, the second port of Oman. A critical stage has not been reached,
although the local Amir of Jaalan has set up an independent customs
administration, but the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. apprehends that should the Amir
endeavour to throw off his allegiance to the Sultan and establish an
independent dominion similar to that of the Omanis of the interior, the very
considerable reduction of the Sultan’s dominions and revenues which would §§ Letter 167 s. from,
be involved might necessitate active economic pressure by His Majesty s PoL_iLs.^o g. of 1
'Government on the Sur tribes on behalf of His HighneSs.§§ p. P 276 o/ 28 ."