Page 227 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

Chap tor XI. 201
eoparalo postmaster was employod and tho following establishment sane-
tioned :—
Rb.
Postmaster ... 75
Mnnslii ... 10
Puon ... • •• 10
Contingent allowance 10
Total 105
131. Tho office was maintained on this scale until 1S73 when tho pay of
tho Munshi and peon was raised to Its. 15 aud its. 12, respectively. In 1881
the office underwent final revision, vis,:—
Re.
Postmaster GO
Local allowauce 30
Munshi • • • 25
Postman 12
House-rout 10
Total 137

132. The history of the origin of the Basrah post office has much in common
with that of the Baghdad Office and is
Uistory.
described in detail in tho next section.
It may, however, he briefly recapitulated here. When Turkish Arabia was visited
by an Inspecting Officer of the Bombay Circle in 18G7, the Consular postal
arrangements were found to be very defective. Basrah was in regular connec­
tion with Bombay and the ports in tho Persian Gulf by means of the British
India Steam Navigation Company’s mail steamers and with Baghdad by tho
mail steamers of the Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation Company ; hut
the manner of exchanging mails was very primitive and postal work was confined
to the despatch and receipt of ordinary letters which in most eases paid no postage.
Sir Arnold Komball welcomed the idea of a properly organized post office
both for Baghdad aud Basrah, and at the latter place the Vice-Consul undertook
to perform the duties of postmaster on a monthly allowance from the post office
which would enable him to employ a small office establishment. The office
was opened on the 1st January 18GS and continued in charge of the Vice-Consul
until December 1S70, by which time public confidence being well established,
the work had increased to such an extent that the Vice-Consul was unable to
give it sufficient attention and a postmaster with a proper establishment was
appointed from India. When tho Vice-Consul was relieved of charge of tho
post office, tho office still continued to be held in a room in the Vice-Consu­
late, but as no accommodation was available on Consulate premises for the
postmaster’s residence he lived in a Khan in the town, aud partly for his own
convenience, partly to servo tho public, he put up a letter-box, made a
" window delivery '* of letters, sold postage si amps, and, in short, established
in his dwelling an informal post office, or ono to which sauction was novor
accorded.
133. In 1872 the Consulate was removed to a building situated on the Shat-
cl-Arab, about two miles from the town of Basrah, and with it tho post office.
As the new Consulate, like the one vacated, a [forded no quarters for the accom­
modation of the postmaster, lie continued to live in the town and the office in
the postmaster’s dwelling in the town, now that tho Consular post office was so
far removed from business quarters, became of considerable importance and
was looked upon locally as a recognized institution.
131. The procedure in regard to the disposal of mails was briefly as fol­
lows:-—On tho arrival of the steamer, mails for the Consul, European merchants
and others liviug in the vicinity of the Consulate were delivered at the Consular
post office and those for Arab merchants aud others living in tho town of Basrah
were carried by the postmaster to tho town post office aud thcro distributed.
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