Page 257 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

AND TIIE MASKAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR TIIE YEAR 1907-1900. 73
than risk losing everything. The facility with which debtors can abscond and
enjoy protection at Lar, remains a standing monaco and dctcrront to the Hindu
trading community and exercises a very disadvantageous influence on trade
enterprise. Tho .Persian trader refuses to ongago in ‘cash* transactions and inva­
riably wants credit . Tho consequence is that the British Indian trading com­
munity has no option but to sell on credit and risk non-payment, or to stop
trading altogether. The Deputy-Governor has recently announced his
intention of again collecting “ pierage.” Orders were issued by the Tehran
authorities early in 1907 to discontinue the levy of this tax, but the local
authorities seek to justify its re-imposition by stating that it is still included
in the schedule of revenue to be recovered by the Governor of tho Gulf Ports.
Tbc matter is engaging the attention of the Residency and of His Majosty’s
Legation.
Tho year has witnessed a general weakening of tho authority oxerciscd Ji£?££uonadmi"
by the local Customs administration. This may perhaps bo accounted for by
M. Naus’ departure from Tehran and tho subsequent uncertainty regarding
the continued employment of Belgian Directors and of tho measure of support
to be expected from bead-quarters in enforcing the regulations. At Gatchin
and Bostana, on tbc Clarence Straits, Mulla Hashim,a protegd of the Deputy-
Governor of Lar, having first warned M. Wagner of bis intention, proceeded
to intimidate the Customs representative and himself to collect the Customs
dues, while at Kohistak, on the Biyaban coast, the Baluchis drove out tho
Customs employee and closed tho post. All subsequent attempts to re-estab­
lish it proved fruitless until, towards the end of the year, the expedient of
buying the services of Mir Birkat Khan, an influential Baluch Chief, achieved
the desired result. M. Wagner, the local Director, proceeded on leave in June
and was succeeded in turn by Moses Khan and M. Varren. Tho latter is a
Swiss and is well disposed towards British interests. Ho was transferred to
Lingah at the end of October, when Moses Khan was re-appointed to Bunder
Abbas and has continued in office until the end of the year. With uncer­
tainty in their minds as to their position and prospects, it was not possible for
the Directors to evince anti-English sentiments and, as a result, relations
between the Customs and the Consulate have been entirely devoid of friction
or unpleasantness. In Minab, Mirza Karim, the Mudir who formerly gave us
so much trouble when acting in that capacity at Henjam, maintained his bad
reputation by imprisoning in his house a British-Indian subject against whom
he had some claim. After repeated representations to tho Customs Adminis­
tration, the Consulate has at. last secured the dismissal of this truculent mudir.
Steps have recently been taken to re-establish Customs posts at Cbarbar and
Tank and a steam launch has been despatched to Charbar to assist the mudir,
but the Baluchis have ne\ er acquiesced in the establishment of these posts and
it is thought that, as formerly, they will proceed to break them up again at
their leisure.
Throughout the cold weather, largo numbers of Pathans, prevented from Armotrafflo.
landing at Maskat, arrived by mail steamer and proceeded to purchase arms
and ammunition from Lari traders. In the early months of the year, large
consignments of arms bad bcon smuggled ashore at tho different ports on the
Clarence Straits and conveyed thence to Haji Ali Kuli Khan, Deputy-Governor
of Lar. On learning that a good price could be secured for rifles from the
Pathans, large numbers were transported from Lar to Bunder Abbas and were
here j-old in the bazar almost under the eyes of the Customs authorities, 'lhe
procedure adopted was somewhat as follow’s :—Having paid the trader for the
number of rifles required, the Palhan proceeded to his encampment outside the
town and prepared his camels for departure. In the evening, the Deputy-
Governor’s tofangohis, on reocipt of a small commission, would proceed to carry
the rifles one by one to the Pathan, until the whole order was delivered. As
ti c tofangchis habitually carry arms, no comment arose regarding this proce­
dure. In other instances, Pathans arrived hv steamer, purchased camels locally
and then left without loads, proceeding to some previously selected spot on tho
Biynlmn coast, tbero to load up w ith arms and ammunition. Tho Customs
authorities wero kept informed of tho existenco of tho illicit trade, but always
deferred taking action, tho Direotor dreading to damage his popularity by
making a raid upon the traders implicated. On tho Biyaban coast, however,