Page 43 - PERSIAN 9 1931_1940

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The excellent services rendered to the local community by the Medical Mission
can be judged by the following statistics:—
I
(Medical Work).
Number of bods 110 (Men 70, Women
40).
Number of in-patients 805
Number of out-patients (new) 5,9G8
Repeat visits .. 16,680
Visits to patients' own houses 2,125
Major operations 529
Note.—Besides 1,044 patients were seen on itinerations.
(Welfare Work).
Number of confinements 76
Patients attending welfare centre .. 347
Repeat visits 1,125
Visits paid to patients’ own houses 1,614
Number of eases referred to medical mission 126
7. War Graves.—Captain G. Peek, O.B.E., of the Imperial War Graves
Commission, arrived from Ispahan in the end of April, and, after visiting Zahidan
(Duzdap) and Sistan, left for Bandar Abbas in the middle of May carrying with
him the War Graves removed from Sistan, Zahidan, Dehanch-i-Baghi and
Kerman.
8. Carpet Trade and the Spinning Mill Project.—(a) Carpet Trade.—The export
of carpets and tribal rugs expressed in thousands of Krans during 1931, and the
three preceding years was as follows:—
1928. 1929. 1930. 1931.
Kerman carpets and rugs 7,465 7,746 13,140 12,079
Tribals 2,243 1,295 913 888
Kerman has suffered to the full as the result of the World crisis. This is only
natural considering that her one and only industry is carpets, a luxury in which
the majority of people have been obliged to cease to indulge. The loss was accen­
tuated by the depreciation in the price of silver with a corresponding decrease in
capital, in the shape of carpets, of which every firm necessarily holds a large
floating stock. During the year many firms suspended business and in the last
quarter Messrs, the Standard Carpet Co., Ltd., a British concern, went into
liquidation. But the export figures for the year show only a comparatively
small decrease as compared with those of the preceding year, which may be ex­
plained by the fact of the Persian Government regulations stipulating that
imports could only be allowed against exports to an equal extent. A number of
traders in consequence exported large stocks of carpets to the United States,
Europe and India. In this connection it may be mentioned that, as far as the
carpet export trade in Kerman is concerned, the prices declared are always 10 to
30 per cent, in excess of the original value, in order to obtain import permits for
larger amounts than actually sent out of the country.
The Oriental Carpet Manufacturers, Ltd., at present the only British firm
dealing in carpets in Kerman, which handles about 25 per cent, of this trade, cut
down its commitments to a great extent during the latter part of the year.
In September the Afghan Government approached the Persian Government
for the loan of a number of carpet weaving experts.
(h) Spinning Mill Project.—As the cotton yarn used in weaving carpets in
Persia has to be imported either from Japan or India, Lieutenant-Colonel Noel
in 1930 considered the question of converting the local cotton into yarn suitable
for the purpose, and discussed with merchants and land-owners the possibility of
embarking on the enterprise of importing a spinning mill plant. A sample of local
cotton was sent to Bombay for spinning and proved satisfactory for conversion