Page 443 - PERSIAN 9 1941_1947

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In March the Persian Government made a general
distributionfof cotton cloth on a basis of 3 metres per

person. The cloth, however, was only suitable for women’s
wear, and in aby case little or any of it reached people
living in villages ouftsido of Bushire . In November the
Persian Government abolished the piece-goods monoply,

and merchants* were at the end of the year free to Import
cloth.
(d) Agriculture.
Owing to plentiful rain during the winter of 1944-
45 the 1945 harvest was the best for 23 years, The

autumn rains were very late, and ploughing could not be
started till raid December. The rain which fell then,
however, was sufficient to encourage the hope of a average

gogd crop in 1946. The date crop was also good, and the
price of dates was lower than it has been at any time
!
since 1939.
SECTION VII.
SHIPPING AND COil-ERCE.
(a) Fifty British ships with an approximate tonnage

of 1,58,876 tons called at Bushire during the year.
The main imports were tea, sugar, piece-ggods etc.; the
main exports consisted of gum tragacanth, gum arable,

1attarl1, assofoetida, wool and carpets.
(b) Owing to the great diminution of steamer traffic
in the Gulf, the owners of country craft have been enjoy*
ing a period of great prosperity, Dhows carry cargoes

of rice, potatoes, dried fruits, walnuts, ghee etc., to
ports on the Arab Coast, whence under a recognized system
of barter, they bring back tea, sugar and piece-goods.
(c) The Itlmadleyeh Spinning & Weaving Mill.

Production was maintained at the same level as
the previous year, In February a powerful new electric.

engine was imported from England and installed.
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