'ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ADEN SETTLEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31st March 1915' [‎299r] (9/46)

7
in Aden, which depends for its supplies mainly on Foreign ports. A rail road
into the interior would remedy this dependence on outside.
Water-supply. 2 * A ^ ur A er P u mping test and analysis of water
™ was carried out during the year.
3 . There is no dearth of labour in Aden. There is a resident labouring
Wa^sand Labon, f ass u f Am \*’ Jews and Somalis and consi-
° ,,, a v A rabl . e niimbers come periodically from the interior
of Arabia and the Somali Coast in search of work. The Somalis are averse to
any sort of sustained physical labour; they are chiefly employed as boatmen
carriage drivers, etc., while the majority of them loaf about the town. The
Arabs are hard-working and are generally employed as labourers on the wharves
as coal coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. , and on road-making, etc. The cost of living in Aden is hi^h and*
the question of housing very acute.
4. There is as a rule not ranch variation in the wages of labour in Aden.
Wages were as follows during the year under report:—
Its. a.
1 8
1 8
0 8
0 5
asd
to
to
to
Its
2 8
2 0
0 12
0 7
a. p.
0
0
0
0
per day.
Carpenters
Masons
Coal coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory.
Day labourers ... ^ ^ v u ( u
It may be observed that skilled Indian labourers generally earn better
wages than others in Aden.
5. Aden depends on imports (mostly Indian) for its food-supply. The
Prices aud principal Food-grains. P^ces of principal food-grains are given in Appen
dix XVIII.
6. There is no forest m tne Settlement. An effort on afforesting was
Forest and Horticulture. a Am A ^ P lantin ? SOme 7 aCr0S of land at
Sheikh Othman with seedlings from seeds procured
from India. !lhe effort has not proved altogether unsuccessful and the place
has generally become a garden for the cultivation of vegetables, etc. Some
well-to-do native gentlemen have tried horticultural experiments at Sheikh
Othman with some success. They have planted large plots of ground with fruit-
trees (chiefly date) and vegetables.
7. The trade of Aden is mostly transhipment trade, the port serving as a
Trade aud Manufacture. centre of distribution. The total sea-borne trade in
the year under report w r as £6,681,625 as compared
with the preceding year’s total of £8,204,370. The trade with the interior of
Arabia amounted in imports and exports to £137,610 and £120,374 respectively
as compared with last year s totals of £173,220 and £149,021.
The industries of Aden are salt and cigarette manufacture. The
itahan firm of Messrs. Burgarella, ( Ajola and & Co. have been doing a very
prontable business in salt manufacture at Sheikh Othman for many years.
le Bombay firm of Messrs. Abdullabhoy and Joomabhoy Lalji & Co. also
manufacture salt. The salt manufactured by these firms is not intended for
ocal consumption, the monopoly of which is in the hands of Government who
ave licensed certain salt pits to Arabs, who worked the pits before the
monopoly was purchased from the Abdali Sultan. About § of these salt pits
v? ve P ass cd into the hands of Messrs. Cowasji Dinshaw & Brothers and
bAp eQ1 ■^■ ess a. The cigarette industry is carried on on a fairly large scale
indut 0reign - JeWS a,n ^' Greeks with tobacco imported from Egypt. Other
• s ries 5 iike house-buildings, mat-making, oil-pressing and boat-building,
exi8t but on a small scale.
Perim Pearl Fishery. 8 * No tenders for the lease of the Perim Pearl
Fishery were issued during the year.
T The Assistant Commanding Royal Engineer, who is both the Executive
Public Worts. ari< ^ Superintending Engineer of this Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. , spent
Brovin * i ti * -^s. 4,685 on Provincial Major Works, Rs. 3,375 on
sum oTr Mill0r Works > an <l Bs. 1,979 on Imperial Civil Minor Works. A
s * ^9,204 under Imperial Major Works was spent in repairs.