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RESIDENCY AND MABKAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR THE YBAR 1806-07. 6

Part III.—TRADE REPORT FOR 1896.

General Rekabko.
Tho prognostications contained in last year’s report as to the trade
prospects in 1896*97 have unfortunately been fully vended, imports showing
the further considerable falling off of Rl,OG,74,758, and exports also suffering
to tho extent of R56,51,749.
Tho year opened with unfavourable prospects which were aggravated (1)
by tho disorders following on the assassination of the late Shah, which gave
rise to a considerable amount of looting of caravans, and general disorder
along the main channels of trade into the interior which dislocated trade for
several months, and (2) by the outbreaks of plague in Bombay and Karachi,
the two principal ports from and to which the usually large trade between
Persia and India is carried, and the consequent quarantine restrictions which,
even when most thoughtfully imposed, press seriously on trade.
The famine’in India would probably have stimulated the export trade in
cereals, but, unfortunately, repeated bad years of rainfall have left Persia not
far off famine herself and in place of exporting largely she has had scarcely
enough for herself, and the impoverishment consequent on the failure of
crops has affected trade generally, leaving many would-be purchasers of other
commodities without the means of purchasing them.
Sterling exchange has fortunately remained fairly steady throughout the
year, and the rates of transport were on the whole moderate and steady. The
different items of imports and exports are treated separately below.
No new shipping companies appeared on the scene this year, but those
already started continued their regular services, with the exception of • the
Messageries Maritime who found the terms of quarantine at Busrah too severe
to make it worth while calling there, while the business they could secure at
other Persian Gulf ports was not sufficiently remunerative, and they con­
sequently suspended their service to the Gulf towards the end of the year.
Freight has been low and steady, ranging from 18a. to 20a. to London.
A new German firm has been started out of tho ashes of Job Worth & Co.,
and under the same management, but as yet, at any rate, its competition is
not seriously felt by the older established firms.
So far the prospects of 1897 cannot he said to be very bright, and, though
it ought, in the absence of any similar abnormal conditions, to show an
improvement against 1896, such improvement is not likely to be very great,
and should the rainfall again, this winter, be deficient, the condition of South
l’ersia at least will be very serious.
lUfOKTS.
Arms ana Ammunition.—This trade was found to he so flourishing last
year and the Bums obtained by the local authorities for conniving at it were so
considerable that the Central Government considered that there was room for
another partner in it and a special official was appointed from Tehran, nominally
to enforce the prohibition against the import of arms ; but, as the official in
question paid for his post in the usual fashion it is certain that neither he nor
tlie Government had any intention of really carrying out the orders. In spite
of this new tap on the profits the trade shows an increase of some 10 lakhs