Page 238 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

212 Part III.
179. Notwithstanding this tho question was revived early in 1887 by tho
Director General of the Ottoman Posts
External A., February 1899, No«. 40—52.
through tho Ottoman Minister for Foreign
Affairs, nnd in reporting on his demand for the abolition of our post offices,
Colonel Twcodio, Consul-General, .Baghdad, addressing the Government of India
urged that ono strong reason against our submitting to havo our posts taken out
of our bands and entrusted to tho bureaux of tho Ottoman Government was
tho impossibility, in the light of experience of reposing any conQdonco in the
efficiency of the Ottoman bureaux. Ho states:—
"In commenting on the Ottoman Postal Department one writes from actual experience,
not from mere prcjudico. So centralised is that department that, however, perfect it may
appear (on paper at Constantinople) it is impossible for it to be anyting in outlying places
than the individual qualities o£ its Superintendents may there admit of, for when tho merest
clerk at fay Boyrout or Basrah givos way to maladministration, there is toooftoo no one nearer
than Constantinople with tho power of supplying chock or remedy."
180. Colonel Tweedio was further of opiuion that if the proposals then
brought forward by tho Ottoman Postal Departmennt were to be favourably
considered, not only would tho commerce of Irah, both Native and Foreign,
rocoivo a heavy blow, but among other results tho residency at Baghdad would
be left without any assured moans of sending out ol* receiving its correspond­
ence from India, Constantinople aud London.

(vii) Turkish demand for abolition of the British Postal Service 1888.
181. In May 1888 tho Porte again pressed for the abolition of the British
Postal Service between Baghdad and Bas­
Secret E., Dccombcr 18S8, Nos. 130—148.
rah. Colonel Talbot, Resident at Basrah,
wa9 asked to report on the capacity of the Turkish authorities to establish an
efficient postal service between tho two places. PJ is report No. 605, dated 6th
Jbid 14g December 1888, is an interesting docu-
' ' ment and is quoted at length below :—
"8. The so-called postal service maintained by means of the Omnn-Ottoman steamers dates
from August 18S3 ***** and was one of the
measures designed by the Baghdad Government for driving tlio Euphrates and Tigris Steam
Navigation Company olT the liver, which is doubtless the ulterior object, of the present
demand. The mails sent by it cousist merely of official papers for the subordinate officials of
the two TVilaiats, local postage being double International rates; iho public entrusts its
private correspondence either to friends travelling by or to employes of the steamers, and tho
latter make no secret of their often carrying move than the Government mails. By the
arrangement- referred to in tho correspondence ending with Your Excellency’s Despatch of the
6th June 1885, which arose, I may remark, out of the admitted irregularity of the Oman-
Ottoman steamers, vide Wali’s letter of 25th January 18h5, the Euphrates and Tigris Steam
Navigation Company still continue to carry the Ottoman Government mails whenever tender­
ed, and have done so quite recently though Dot as frequently ns they did. The customs De­
partment, however, which in some respects manages its uifjirs independently of the Wilaiat,
still often avails itself of the assistance of the Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation Com­
pany. It will be seen from the above remarks that the organisation of the Turkish river postal
servico is extremely lax, and docs not meet requirements either of the Government departments
or of the general public.
4. The Embassy archives probably contain a memorandum* by Dr. Bowman sent unoffi­
cially by Colonel Twcedie to Mr. Wyndham on 18th July 1888, in which bo described the
inefficient condition and corrupt management of the Oman-Oitoman steamers. For facility of
reference I append a copy of that paper. Of tho steamers then forming the flotila, the
* Bu6rah * is no longer employed, the ‘Tilafa* was burnt four years ago and is lying useless
atffiusrah. The newest of them, tho “ Maskenah,” of 50 II. P., built at Triosto in 1871, is
also dismantled nnd said not to lie worth, repair. The approximate date of building, “ors®8
power and carrying capacity of the four steamers now running as oompared with thoso of t o
Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation Company are given iu the subjoined tabic.
Euphratcx and Tigrix Steam Navigation Company.
Date. n.p. CC.
IJcdjidicb 1883 100 400 ton*.
Kbaiifab 1880 100 550

• Sco pora. 1C5*A. alow.