Page 251 - PERSIAN 4 1890_1899

Part III—REPORT ON THE TRADE AND COMMERCE OF THE CON-
SULAR DISTRICT OF BUSHIRE FOR THE YEAR 1894.

The year 1594 showed welcome signs of reaction from the depression under
vhich trade had recently laboured.
At the three ports—Bushire, Bunder Abba9, and Lingali—the value of im­
ports increased by over sixty-two lakhs, and that of exports hy over twenty and
a half lakhs, as compared with the preceding year.
This large increase has taken place in spite of serious drawbacks both in
the case of imports and exports. Some of these drawbacks have been removed ;
but others unfortunately still remain.
In exports the increase as regards Bushire is mainly due to extensive
transhipments of arms to Bahrein, which had no place in the returns for the
previous years; to large shipments of wheat; to improvement as regards wool
and carpets; and to a rise in the price of opium.
Specie exports were also considerably higher. These items were more than
doubie the decrease in the case of cotton, almonds, shells, silk, and tobacco.
In imports, cotton goods showed the largest increase, as against the falling
of! in sugar and metals.
At Bunder Abbas by far the most conspicuous item of improvement was
tea, the imports of which were considerably more than doubled. Cotton goods
and twist were also imported in larger quantities, while wool contributed the
largest item of increase to the imports.
The chief difficulty in the way of exports was that which is affecting all
countries which have a silver standard of currency, namely, the depreciation of
silver. The standard coin of the country, the kran, was at the commence­
ment of the year at an exchange value of 45 J to the pound sterling. In April
it had risen to 51$, and though in August it fell for a short time to 49$ it soon
rose again and continued to do so steadily till the end of the year by which
time it had reached to 57 to the pound sterling.
The other difficulty against which imports had to contend during the year
was an abnormal rise in the rate of transport between Bushire and Shiraz.
In the first three months of the year the rate varied from krans 65—76
per 100 mans, but fell in April to from krans 30—36. In October it rose to
krans 100, and in November the rate rose to krans 195 for piece-goods and
brans 200 for loaf-sugar and case goods.
This price has never been touched before, and naturally completely
paralysed all trade between Bushire and the north which goes solely by this
route.
It is not easy to account fully for so extreme a rise. Several causes no
doubt contributed to it, the most important being a very heavy mortality
from a severe epidemic among transport animals, and the high prices for grain
and fodder. It was also said that transport was attracted by the demands of
hade, to lines -further in the interior of the country, and this doubtless added
its effects in raising prices between the ooast and Shiraz.
increased imports of piece-goods and Indian teas are very favourable
0 "rhish and British Indian trade.
Of the exports which showed a decrease, the falling off is greatest in raw
C0 ton» 6hells, and tobacco. The reason for it in the case of cotton was that