File 600/1905 Pt 3 'Aden Hinterland: Situation; Withdrawal of Political Agent from Dthala; Treaties with Haushabi, Kotaibi and Alawi chiefs' [‎31r] (57/508)

imposition of unauthorised dues, will be directly reflected by diminished
receipts from transit dues: and that so long as each continues to disavow his
responsibility for the acts of his own tribesmen unless they be committed in
his own territory, so long will a premium he placed on disorder* I pointed
out that so long as the Alawi and Kotaibi both had armed posts upon the road
there would always be trouble. This they do not deny. I added that the
Alawi had shown himself impotent to maintain himself and entirely untrust
worthy and I expressed my unwillingness to assent to the imposition of any
additional road dues which are in my opinion already too heavy. Beyond this
I only urged co-operation among themselves whereby each party should
ensage to he responsible for the acts of his tribesmen wherever committed. I
futher urged that they should agree to the prompt payment of compensation
by the Chief within whose limits an offence was committed, and that they
should bind themselves jointly to enforce recovery from the Chief of the tribe
to which the offender belonged should the former show himself backward in
paying up. I added that I felt sure that Government would agree to any
reasonable decision that they might jointly arrive at so long as it made for peace
and permanency. At their request I embodied in a draft the provisions of a
joint agreement (see A attached) that seems to me to offer some real chance of
success if it only be acted upon in good faith. This they have discussed
among themselves and have professed their readiness to conclude. By their
desire I have agreed, on their executing such an agreement, to witness it and
I have expressed my readiness to recommend to Government—
(i) that the transit dues heretofore levied by the Alawi shall in future
pass to the Kotaibi Sheikh;
(ii) that the additional stipend recommended in my No. 3419, dated
9th June 1906, for the Alawi as representing the respon
sibility formerly imposed upon him by the safeguarding of the
road of which he will in future be relieved, should pass to the
Kotaibi in consideration of his increased responsibilities;
(Hi) that the Alawi’s present stipend should be continued to him in
consideration of the original Besolutiou of Government in
the Political Department, No. 814, dated 14th May 1875, under
which it was granted ;
(iv) that the arms recommended for the Kotaibi in my No. 592, dated
27th January 1907, should he given to him.
11 The matter is still under the consideration of the Chiefs concerned and
I hope I may be able to bring them to some sort of agreement. But they are
as short-sighted as children, each filled with a profound distrust ot one
another and only unanimous in their determination to obtain some increase
to tlieir allowances, even though ttiey may have nothing to ofler in return. In
orde hat I may be in a position io carry out the wishes of Government I
reouest to be informed at an early date how far a settlement on the lines 1 have
indicated will meet with their approval and how far the conclusion of su
settlement will be left to me.
A.
AGREEMENT.
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