Page 18 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf) 1907-1953

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/de French proldg<5 before 1803.° This decision
will, it is belioYcd, reduce the number of Fronch
flagholdcrs to ton or twelve at tho utmost. More­
over, the licences in question cannot lx) trans­
mitted or transferred to any other dhow, even if
belonging to the same owner. Thus, it would
appear that if ono of the licensed dhows woro
to be lost or disabled, the owner, in order to obtain
a new licence, must prove that he comes under
tho category of those who wore bond fide .French
protdgds before 18C3. Such protdgds must now
be scarce, and the number of French flagholdcrs
should, in I ho course of a few years, bo reduced
to vanishing point.

Muscat Customs.
Tho administration of tho Muscat Customs is Administration
uuder tho direct management of the local Report ou tliu
Persian (miIf
Government. In the last few years the Sultan I’oliiiniI Residency
has shown a ready inclination to profit hy Political Agency
‘Western ideas, and there is every reason to hope for luoa-iuoi.
that enlightened progress will ultimately he made
in tho matter of the Customs. At present the
system by which sudden calls on the State
Exchequer are met by drafts upon tho Customs
Superintendent is liable to place that official in
frequent difficulties, and to prevent him from
doing full justice to his charge.
Tho Sur Customs should be an important Letter from
factor in the Sultan’s revenue, but the French JhiHS'i*
Hag question made it impossible for some time Resident ini IVrsiau
for the Ruler of Muscat to bring the administrn- datc«V °
tion of Sur to that state of reasonable efficiency SjjjJwhT it,
which its importance as a trade emporium
demands.
The Gwadur Customs, too, arc a source of
annoyance to the Sultan. Ever since the late
Khoja contractor was ousted from the Customs
farm, and the collection of customs dues resumed
by the Sultan, constant dissensions have occurred
between the mercantile community and Customs
officials regarding the tariff.t
For many years the Indian Government have jll(j^ oilier.
February 1-1, lt'05.
* The year 16G3 was taken an the date at which, in virtue
of legislation by tho Ottoman Porto, and of the Fronco-
Mnroccan Treaty of that year, tho creation of now proteges
wan regulated and limited.
f The Sultan veiled Gwadur in person in February l'JO-1
for the puqwse of bringing about u settlement, in which ho
ajijiears to have l)oon unsuccessful. For a description of tho
tariff, see Administration Report for 1U03-4.