Coll 30/9(2) 'Admin. Reports of the Persian Gulf - 1945 -' [‎57r] (113/1148)

5
Owing largely to the efforts of L*-CoIonel H.H.P. Dickson C«I*E.,
numbers of bedouin have been induced to engage in i^anunl labour for
the Kuwait Oil Company and the latter have been persuaded to put up
with the wayv/ardnesa an<T irresponsibility of bedouin employees.
VI ^Qs-hiai ltlV'ub.: f ? S
(a) ^udl nrabia
Keletions with the 3audi Government have remained friendly throng
out the period under review. Every conceivable precaution is taken
by the shaikh not to offend his powerful neighbour.
(b) ’ Iraq .
(i) helations with f lraq have remained correct, but Kuwaitis
were much inconvenienced by the new ’Iraq Visa Regulations which
tane no account of the fact that Kuwaitis, who have numerous relations
and large interests in ’Iraq, have frequent occasion for visiting
~ that country at short notice.
(ii) On the 27th October. Shaikh Mohammad (second son of His
I Highness) was fired on by an ’Iraqi police car a few miles to the
west of Zubair while returning to Basrah from a hawking expedition.
His ri^ht thumb was shot off while another bullet traversed his neck.
His Kutairi guide was killed. The I’utassarraf of .Basrah telegraphed
his regrets to His Highness and the latter did not lodge any official
prot co t.
VII DATE G4PBEN3.
The value of the 190 shares of the Bashiya garden which were
lost in 1944 has been computed at I.D.G,980.631.
Early in the year the ’Iraq Ministries of finance and the Interior
are said to have granted His Highness’ tenants the right to cultivate
the extensive mud-flats lying between His Highness’ date gardens and
the rivor^' './hen this cultivation is taken in han-1 it v/ill cause a
very great drop in the value of His Highness’ properties.
Certain of the tenants have appealed against the registration of
the estate in the name of his Highness and the ’Iraqi authorities
have wade the fact that there is an appeal penuing an excuse for
refusing to taxe action on complaints of theft or wilful damage against
the .tenants.
/
VIII C03T OF UVINO .
The coat of living has continued excessively high during the
/period under review. The daily wage of an unskilled labourer reached
and remains at Rs.5/- plus food and other wages ere in proportion.
The rationed distribution of foodstuffs and cloth by the Supply Depart
ment proved helpful.
a; .
y The following is a comparative statement of the prices of main
commodities:-
1945
...Rs.23/147- per ba£
...Ks.73/8/- n "
...Ks.50/- " "
...Rs.43/- rt Safe
(660-lbs
...Rs.10/- per basxet
...Rs. 2/- " lb.
...Jls. 2/- " "
,...Rs. 2/- " "
...Rs. 1/2/-" "
...Rs. 1/- " bottle
1839 1944
^heat Rs.5/- F;s.23/14/-
3ugar ■ Rs. 8/- Rs. 76/ 8/-
Cbarcoal Rs.3/ r 3/- Rs.48/-
Flrewood Rs.6/- Rs.43/-
<
: Dates As.12/- ........Rs.15/-
Tea As.9/- Rs. 2/-
totton As.2/- ...Rs. 2/-
beef As.2/- .Hs. 2/-
/ - fish As. 1/9/- Rs. 1/3/-
.^llx As.3/- Rs. l/-
A-jUi. v- ■'"/ /Zi.
TT
/ ROYAL ;FAVT