Page 364 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

64 ADMINISTRATION REPORT OK TIIE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY
Customs figures become available at the end of March 1909 it is anticipated
that the year’s working will show a very serious falling off. 1
German activity— During the year 9 German steamers called on the out­
ward voyage, and of these 3 visited the port on the homeward journey. They
landed 10,152 packages (of which 13,410 were iron and steel bars and sheets,
1,511 sugar, and 35 synthetic indigo) and took away 083 packages, of which
607 were gum tragacanth.
It has been rumoured throughout the year that the German firm of
Wonckhaus proposes to open a branch at this port with an European Agent
in charge, but up to date (February 1909) this has not been done. Mr. Brown,
the Lingah agent of the firm, and a Mr. Rumfcld, also a member of the same
firm, visited the port for a few days. A M. Arratoon, employed by Messrs.
Wonckhaus arrived in Bunder Abbas in December from Lar where lie had
been sent to open up trade, a project lie was forced to abandon owing to the
local disturbances.
As visit was paid to the port by the German Commercial delegate of the
Berlin Foreign Office, Herr Kurt Jung, to study possible openings for trade
but his stay was of short duration and it remains to be seen what was
effected.
Russian activity.—During the year 4 Russian steamers visited the port 4
times on their outward voyage, landing 822 packages only, of which 500 were
oil and 117 piece-goods; on the homeward voyage they also called 4 times,
taking 609 packages, of which 529 were gum tragacanth. It is difficult to
see how these vessels can possibly pay even a moiety of their way on such
results for a year’s working, which it may be added arc lower than those of
last year.
Settlement of claims.—A fair number of claims have arrived at a settle­
ment but the safety which Lar affords to fraudulent bankrupts has been
utilized by more than one Lari trader, and the sum total of claims which
have had to be referred to Shiraz for such action as the Fars authorities can
take now amounts to over Krans 150,000. The whole of this amount is
owing to British traders and it is to be feared is likely to remain owing for
some considerable time longer in the present state of anarchy into which Lar
has lately been plunged by the Scyyid Abdul Hussain.
Small claims have as a rule been satisfactorily settled and on the whole
with fair promptitude.
Enterprises.—A Monsieur Benedetto, an Italian mining engineer, accom­
panied by an Armenian interpreter, arrived early in the year and spent some
months at the Muin-ut-Tujjar’s sulphur quarries on Kishm Island; he left in
April after having had to invoke the assistance of His Majesty’s Consul to
obtain the salary agreed upon and which was due to him.
Anna trafGc. Though the landing of Pathans at Maskat has been interdicted with a
view to minimizing the traffic in arms but little if any decrease at all has
resulted.
Arms now find their way to Bunder Abbas from Lar and are sold m
the bazaars with impunity. The Customs administration made a few feeble
and half-hearted attempts to take action which generally resulted in very
small captures only. Pathans now arrive in Bunder Abbas in large numbers
without camels or caravans and generally by mail-steamers, openly buy
camels at exorbitant rates which they load up with a few loads and then
move down to the Biyaban or Mckran coast where their real loads of riiies
and ammunition for the north arc picked up.
The Deputy-Governor’s tufangchis materially assist the nefarious traffic
by carrying the arms from the sellers in the bazaars to thc Afghans’ encamp'
ments, the object being to prevent any Afghan laying himself open to tn
suspicion of being dubbed a gun-runner.
method has been resorted to of late—that of sending Laris and
A new
Awazis to Maskat to make purchases of arms now that Fathan.n cann
themselves land at that port.