Page 148 - PERSIAN 9 1941_1947

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attached by a hostile gang between Hlrat and Yezd in the vicinity
of 'Poshkuh*. in the engagement which followed one robber was . ,,
,
billed and another wounded; also one conscript was Killed. Finally
the robbers succeeded in removing the lorry and capturing the
Gendarmes and on^e conscript with their rifles#
On the 17th June an armed gang (sala to be sixty strong J looted
the village of NASRABAD (beyond Peshkuh)* X party of Gendarmes
under the command of Sarwan Shujaia was sent to the disturbed area,
but the raiding gang had left prior to the arrival of the party#
On the 8th October a lorry carrying Yezd made woollen cloth to
Shiraz was held up near Tang-i-Chinar and completely looted by on
armed gang of 40 Arabs.

VII. COMMUNICATION.
The Garrison Engineer stationed in Yezd was responsible for
the construction of that part of the main road running through
*ezd which lies between Nain and Anar.

The following roads also remained open for traffic throughout
the year although very little maintenance work v;as done on them
by the Iranian authorities*
Cl) Yezd - Shiraz (via Abr-Kuh).
(2; Yezd - Khorasan (via the desert of Robat}.
(3) Yezd - &hur (via Nain and Anarakj*
(4) Yezd - Deh Bala (via Tart;.
(5) Yezd - Bafk and also to Shahr-i-Babak.

VIII* ECONOMIC CONDITIONS *
Yezd is not an agricultural but an industrial town. The
population numbering 60,066 (consisting of Kuslims 49,866,
gorasti&ns 6,700 and Jews 3,500) always obtained their food
supply from other districts viz. Shiraz, Isfahan, Ramadan and
Kermanshah• The ly^i harvest was very poor owing to lac:: of ram
and shortage of food was felt in the district much earlier than
usual, becoming acute towards the end of the year. The shortage .
was cue to CSS'71 J (a) policy of the provincial autnoritjw^
of Isfahan in par tic ^aar, of not allowing the export of grain out
of their province anu (b) shortage of transport*
The cost of living gradually incrc-aseu anu in some respects
\.as higher even then in Kerman. The prices of a few essential
food stuff towards the end of the year are given below
Wheat* •.. Rials 6u/- per 6 Kilo*
Wheat f].our« • ft* is 70/- * » •
Barley* • * . » 40/- « » •
Rice. • • • » 70/- » » »
Sugar* • • • * 180/- • » *
Ghee* • *. • 320/— * » »
Tea* ft** * 60/- per packet of
500 grammes.

The position however differs from Ker.uan as in Yezd there is
a large and wealthy middle class who have taken care to put by
stocks of wheat and other necessities sufficient to last for at
least a year*
For the artisan class, who represent the bulk of the remainder,
and work in their own houses the situation was aggravated by the
rise in the price of yarn from Rials 100/- a 10 lbs* bundle to
Rials 450/-* So for as Is knosn this rise was quite unjustified
and due to profiteerlng. But the capitalists who increased the coat
of their yarn by 350 $5 made no xoo^e to increase fix wages of the
labourers working in their own factories*

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