Page 11 - PERSIAN 4 1899_1905

RESIDENCY AND MASK AT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR THE YEAR 1899-1900. 3
complete, and I am in hopes that it will shortly be in full use. In the mean­
time, passengers personal baggage has been disinfected, as far as. possible, by
exposure to the sun and wind. Soon after preventive arrangements were
gtarted here, wo wore asked by the Persian Government to quarantine cargoes,
and, though numerous representations have been made through the Legation,
pointing out that such a course is unnecessary, except in the case of susceptible
articles we have not up to the present been able to get the order withdrawn,
and all cargoes are kopt under supervision till the full period of quarantine has
oxpired. The matter has repeatedly been brought to the notice of Her Majesty*!
Minister at Tehran. Detention of arrivals at Bushire has caused a great deal
of inconvenience and hardship to Europeans, who have been exposed, at
times, to the extremes of heat and cold with very insufficient protection. In
July, it was decided, under the orders of the Government of India, that it was
unnecessary to send 1st and 2nd class passengers, arriving by mail steamers,
to the island and that it would be sufficient if such passengers were merely
called on to present themselves daily for examination. The distinction between
1st class and 2nd class and deck passengers excited, however, some feeling
amongst the Persians, and in consequence of representations made to Her
Majesty’s Representative at Tehran, the arrangement was allowed to lapse, all
passengers having to go to the Quarantine Station.
Currency,—I regret to say that nothing has been done to improve the
currency of Southern Persia which remains in the unsatisfactory condition
noticed in my report last year. The ** Bijecks ” or notes issued by the Bushire
Trading Company, having partly been called in, there appears to be some
prospect of the Bushire Trading Company being eventually put an end to.
Arrangements of the Custom House.—I reported last year the assumption
by the Imperial Bank of Persia of the management of the Bushire Customs
and the subsequent withdrawal of the Bank control in consequence of the
repayment by the Persian Government of the loan made by the Bank. Since
then the Customs have been farmed by the Darya BegL On the 21st of March
1900 the control of the Customs were taken under direct management, being
worked by Belgian officials serving under the Persian Government. It is
stated that they will not, at first, enhance the rate for native-owned goods,
or interfere with vested interests, and if this is the case, the new arrangements
may turn out satisfactory and increase the revenue of the Persian Government,
without exciting much opposition.
Settlement of Claims for Compensation.—I regret to report that, in spite
of incessant efforts, we have been able to do very little towards the settlement
of the numerous claims against the Persian Government on the part of British
subjects and prot£gds, some of which have been pending for years. I have
addressed the Government of India and Her Majesty’s Minister at Tehran
on this subject.
Tours during the year.—After my return from Maskat and Bahrein in
the beginning of March 1899 I remained at Bushire till the middle of August,
when 1 was allowed to go to Karachi, from which I returned on the 20th
September. In October I went to Bahrein, aad at the end of that month left
for Ahwaz, where I met Her Majesty’s Minister, Sir H. M. Durand, who had
travelled down from Tehran to inspect the Ahwaz-Ispalian route. Soon after­
wards I started on a tour along the Arab Coast, visiting Bahrein a second
time, and meeting nearly all the Trucial Chiefs and the Sultan of Maskat.
On my return journey I visited Bunder Abbas and Bassidore. I have recently
paid a short visit to Mohammerah, and saw Sheikh Khazal and Mr. McDouall,
the Vice-ConsuL
2.—OMAN—MASKAT.
Major C. G. F. Fagan, I.S.O., was Political Agent up to the 27th
September, when he was relieved by Captain P. Z. Cox, who has held charge
for the rest of the year. The principal events at Maskat have been briefly as
follows:—
At the beginning of the financial year, the Sultan’s subsidy was being
withheld in consequence of certain events which had taken place during the
previous year, and payment was not renewed until November, when the
i s