Page 363 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

AND THE MASKAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR THE YEAR 1008. 63

end of the year, however, there was a reaction—whether due to his arrogance
or the fact that merchants had become tired of his undue influence interfer­
ing with their own business is not clear—and a round-robin was signed by
some 50 merchants repudiating him as their leader, copies being sent to the
Consulates and officials.
Public health.—During the year there has been fortunately no epidemic Modicai.
of a serious character.
Quarantine.—The quarantine arrangements at this port remained in the
hands of Assistant-Surgeon Montgomery until July when he was relieved by
Assistant-Surgeon A. W. Truter, who has held charge to the close of the
year.
Captain White, I.M.S., Mobile Assistant to the Chief Quarantine
Medical Officer, arrived at Bunder Abbas, his head-quarters, on the 11th May
and remained until 24th June, returning again for another short visit in
July.
Charitable dispensary.—The work of the charitable dispensary has
continued to be carried out by the Quarantine Medical Officer for the time
being, pending the completion of the new Consulate. In 1909 it is iutended
to move the dispensary to the Consulate, when a Native Hospital Assistant
will be placed in sole charge.
It is to be regretted that the population do not realize the benefits of
vaccination until an epidemic actually arrives to convince them, and this year
no epidemic has meant no vaccination.
Malarial fevers have again been the worst scourge and the 438 cases
under this heading show an increase. Eye disease and skin diseases, especi­
ally ulcers, the result of neglect, show the next largest figures. These three
diseases account for some 52-5 per cent, of the total admissions which
amounted to 1,894 in the year under report.
The charitable dispensary is indeed a boon to the poor who swarm in
Bunder Abbas and now that free treatment has become a regular feature,
the shifting of the locale from t'he Quarantine Medical Officer’s house to the
Consulate will bring yet more prominently before the public that their well­
being is closely identified with the British flag.
Changes.—Mr. Moses Khan continued as Director until the 3rd of May
when he was relieved by Monsieur Wagner, with whose appointment the tion,.nw **
Bunder Abbas Directorship, hitherto subordinate to Bushire, was placed
directly under the Central Administration at Tehran, a change which much
facilitates the settlement of any questions between the Customs Department
and merchants. The Customs post at Charbar, which had been closed since
the last Baluch raid, was re-opened in March by the expedient of buying over
an influential chief and maintaining a Customs launch at that port. An
effort was made more than once to re-instate the late Hamal-Bashi Muhammad
Ali but was defeated by the frequent representations of this Consulate and
the protests of the local merchants. The Customs Mudir at Minab in
February had the effrontery to cause the imprisonment of a British subject
in chains, and suffered the penalty of dismissal for his temerity.
Relations.—Relations between this Consulate and the Customs admin­
istration have been most friendly, all differences, of which there were none
of any great importance, being settled in the most liberal and conciliatory
spirit by M. Wagner’s good sense.
Monsieur Leleux and Monsieur Wibier, Inspectors-General of Customs,
visited the port in January and November respectively.
Local stagnation.—Owing to the general disorder in the country and the Commerce.
insecurity of the trade-routes commerce has suffered durir.g the year.
Merchants inland will not give orders when the chances are about even on
or against the probability of their consignments ever reaching them and local
merchants in Bunder Abbas for the same reason have fought shy of import­
ing what may be called “expensive goods,” restricting themselves to the
cheap necessities of life such as sugar, candles, flour, oil, etc. When the