21 ISSA’s house. where I met the Shaikh, Natha Singh, Issa and others. I received a short report from Natha Singh and requested the Shaikh and Issa to provide labour as soon as possible. I inspected the aerodrome, marked out the Rest House site and inspected the stone. I found that stone was being conveyed to the site by the Ford Bus (converted to a lorry), which I had been informed by Issa during the Agreement negotiations could not be used on the Rest House construction, since it belonged to a syndicate in which Shaikh Sultan was the principal shareholder, and since the Shaikh was really passively opposed to the construction of the Rest House, he would not allow of its use by me. I, therefore questioned Issa and Hussain about this and was told that the had disposed of his interest to the rest of the Syndicates, who had been given a contract to carry all stone and stores required in the Rest House construction. Issa further gave me to understand that it was with great difficulty that he had got the Shaikh to sign the contract and so provide the transport which was so essential to the work. I left the same day by Flying Boat for Ras al-Khaimah in connection with an estimate for a Petrol Store and did not return till the evening of the 14th. 6. Meanwhile, on the l3th, Issa sent one Tindal, a relative of his (Rs.2/8/- p.d.) and 4. coolies (Rs.1/- p. d) to Natha Singh. With these, the marking out of the Rest House, Defence Post, and wire entanglements was begun. Both Issa and the Shaikh when visiting the site were asked by Natha Singh to provide more labour. Natha Singh had, by this time, formed the opinion that all was not well, since several Indian merchants, who had visited him, had told him that there was plenty of labour in the town at Annas * 4 to Annas, 8 p.d. depending on the nature of the work, and further that Issa could supply labour if he wanted, since the real master of the town was not Shaikh Sultan but Issa. 7. When I returned, Natha Singh reported to me on the l5th what had happened. I decided that there must be some political reason for the apparent inability of Issa to get the Shaikh to provide labour, so, not wishing to interfere in such a matter, I explained to Issa on the 16th the urgency of the work and requested that labour be obtained forthwith. Hussain explained that the Shaikh, was not willing to pay a coolie rate of Rs.1/- p.d. and coolies would not work for less. On the 17th, some 10 or 12 extra men turned up for work. The Tindal * An Anna is equal to 1/16 of a Rupee. The name Issa, used in the letters of the British, is a different spelling of the name Eissa. THE BUILDING OF SHARJAH AIR STATION
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