Page 655 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911_Neat

ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF
03
M. dcGraeve was Director o£. Customs till 1st May when he made over
charge to M. Fourman and proceeded to
Ctusloms.
Europe. Towards the end of his time
here several incidents occurred in which M. deGraeve displayed a somewhat
meticulous strictness in his interpretation of the Customs Reglement: repre­
sentations having been made on the subject, he was, on return from leave,
posted to Northern Persia. M. Fourman wasi an official of a very different
typo : although quite new to the country ho was most reasonable in every way,
and at the same time was held in wholesome respect by his Persian subordi­
nates. Unfortunately he was transferred in July to Ahwaz, and was suc­
ceeded by M. Zwinne who has remained in charge up to the end of the year.
Ho also is an excellent type of official in some respects, and most reasonable in
all Customs matter's. The only cause of complaint regarding him is that he
only attends the Custom House about two or three times a week, alleging as a
reason that he cannot deal with his heavy correspondence there owing to con­
stant interruptions. The result is that a great deal is left to his subordinates,
who transact business in a very haphazard fashion. The constant changes of
Directors here is a somewhat unsatisfactory feature of the Customs adminis­
tration : there have been no less than six changes since the beginning of
1010. M. Zvrinne was also threatened with a transfer to Bushire in
December, and it was only by energetic protests on his part to Tehran that he
has so far managed to avoid it. Nor are these changes desired by the incum­
bents, since, chiefly on financial grounds, this post is liked by most of them.
A somewhat unfortunate incident occurred on the 14th September: the
“ Pcrsepolis ” arrived from Bushire with some 80 or 100 Angali tufangchis
on board, who had been sent here to protect the town owing to the rumoured
Baharlu raid at the beginning of the month. They landed from the
41 Percepolis ” very early in tho morning with two or three rifles apiece : orders
had on previous occasions been issued that tufangchis were only to be allowed
to land with one rifle apiece, and that any spare rifles which they had in their
possession were to be deposited .with tho Customs. The Customs tufangchis
accordingly endeavoured to enforce these orders in the present instance, but
met with a strenuous opposition which ultimately culminated in a fracas in
which shots were exchanged : the ferash-bashi of the Customs, who was merely
an onlooker at the proceedings, was killed. A Customs ferash was seriously
wounded in two places, and one of the chiefs of the Angalis was kir-edL
This enraged the Angalis who proceeded to the Custom House, where they
nearly succeeded in killing Monsieur Pater, a Dutch Customs employ^.
Finally, however, the Deputy Governor and the Director of Customs managed
tc pacify them, and most of them were sent out into the district, and later on
sent back to Bushire. Unfortunately it was impossible to take any steps to
prevent the import of the rifles, which were rapidly disposed of with the
suspected collusion of the Deputy Governor. It was subsequently ascertained
that these rifles had been sent by certain Bushiris to other Bushiris resident in
Bandar Abbas, the tufangchis receiving 7 Tomans a rifle for conveying them.
Representations were subsequently made regarding the part played"by the
Deputy Governor in this affair, and it was on this account that ho was ulti­
mately dismissed.
On the 1st May the British India Steam Navigation Company revised the
British Inurwu. programme of sailings of their mail
been well served with an inward andTtwardTiefSr?^1'°S
service, however, was changed for one by which an inward steamer called in
one week, and an outward the following. The mail service was not much
affected by this change since arrangements were made for the fast mail to
rnmmmms
call in at Emgah and drop mails there alternate weeks from Bandar Abbas
to be brought down by the inward slow mail.

ports.