Page 193 - PERSIAN 4 1890_1899

p III —REPORT ON THE TRADE AND COMMERCE OF THE CON-
1 SULAR DISTRICT OF BUSHIRE FOR THE YEAR 1893.

General remarks.—The general depression from whioh trade in Southern
Persia suffered so severely during 1892, proved destined unfortunately, despite
confident anticipations to the contrary, to be prolonged and even intensified
during the past year. Yet it cannot ho said that the year 1893 opened under
unfavourable auspices : the wheat harvest of the Persian Gulf littoral was most
abundant, and the activity which was observed in certain important branches
of commerce towards the end of 1892 gave reason for hope that a general
revival of trade was about to he inaugurated. Before many months had
elapsed, however, it became evident that this hope was not destined to be
realised. Exchange, which, it was hoped, had in 1892 reached its lowest
limit, pursued its downward course throughout the year, and with its close
the Kran bad decreased in value by 15 per cent. Early in the year, more­
over, reports were received of the appearance in the districts about Shiraz
of swarms of locusts, which had begun to create havoc among the crops; and
in June there was added to these misfortunes an outbreak of cholera with
its attendant dislocation of all commercial transactions.
Under these adverse conditions, it is not a matter for surprise that trade
should have suffered severely. Tlie cotton crop, which at the commencement
of the year gave promise of an excellent yield, was in part destroyed by the
locusts. Nor were their ravages confined to cotton only, hut were extended
impartially to cultivation in general. Opium, as is well known, has now be­
come one of Persia’s most important exports; and the great injury inflicted
on the crop of 1S93, by the same agency as that which so adversely affected
the cotton yield, was a severe blow to Persian commerce. The wheat crops
of the Persian Gulf littoral were so fortunate as to escape the general de­
struction ; but in the grain-growing districts of Pars, the harvests gave lamen­
table results. The price of grain at once rose, and the difficulties of the
situation were aggravated, it is said, by operations aimed at the realisation of
a profit by buying up and storing grain in anticipation of a further rise of
price. How far these operations were attended with success is not known,
hut prices undoubtedly rose and the evils of widespread scarcity ensued.
In May the threatening attitude of the people, more especially in Shiraz,
where it was feared they would he driven to acts of violence by their un­
fortunate condition, led to the imposition of an embargo on the exportation
of wheat from Bushire—a measure the advantage or efficacy of which is
open to great doubt Operations in tobacco, moreover, which was formerly
exported in considerable quantities to Turkey, have, during IS93, been greatly
restricted owing to the monopoly enjoyed by the Turkish Regie or SocidtS
du Tombac, to which now belongs the exclusive right of importing foreign
tobacco into Turkey. Persian tobacco can therefore be only imported in­
to Turkey through the agents of the Soci4t6, and this trade, which at one
time was exceedingly lucrative, has greatly declined. An effort has been
made to counteract this loss by a combination under strong religious sup­
port, for the purpose of restricting and controlling the production; the
prospects of success in this attempt can hardly yet be gauged.
It might naturally he supposed that the decline in the value of the
Kran, and the distress prevailing in parts of Southern Persia could not fail
to have a serious effect on the import trade. Such has not been the case,
iowever, to the extent that might reasonably have been anticipated, and
*hile the import trade of 1893 cannot be described as entirely satisfactory, the