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RESIDENCY AND MASKAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR THE YEAR 1898-99. 31

Part III.—TRADE REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF FOR 1898.

GENERAL REMARKS.
Tho volume of trade in 1898, unfortunately, lias not shown the improve­
ment predicted in last year’s report, consequent upon the grain crop not
turning out as good as was anticipated.
The reports for the year show a decline of Re. 31,85,724. The principal
items showing a decrease are cotton goods, arms, loaf sugar, candles, drugs,
ohinaware, matches and timber. The following imports show increases:
tea, provisions, soft sugar, copper, yarns, indigo, woollen goods, coffee,
kerosine oil, glassware, gold lace and hardware.
The exports on the other hand have improved by Rs. 1,81,941 under the
heads and order of shells, carpets, tobacco, almonds, gum, wheat and horses.
Among the exports a decrease is shown in the case of arms, opium, wool,
dates, hides, cotton, perfumery and silk.
The German firm trading under the style of " Deutsch Persische Handels
Gesellschaft,” mentioned in the previous year’s report, confined their transac­
tions chiefly to imports of German sugar, and failing to obtain paying indents'
liquidated, having almost absorbed the subscribed capital. It would appear
from this that old-established firms need not at present fear competition from
foreign enterprises to any great extent, but it must not be accepted that
further attempts will not be made in the near future. It is believed that a
largo German Association, who have established trading centres in East Africa
and Zanzibar, will venture to extend their operations to the Persian Gulf
at an early date.
It is not, however, German competition which British manufacturers need
most fear. Though nj figures are given in tiie returns as regards cotton goods
imported from Holland, yet such goods are said to be seen in the markets
marked “ made in Holland.” Some houses are evidently importing into Persia
through Busliire and cid Baghdad and Kermanshah grey and white shirtings,
dyed cottons and prints of poor and cheap quality, for which class of goods,
there has been much demand owing to the impoverished condition of the
principal buyers who cannot afford to indulge in better material. These
Dutch goods are transhipped either at Manchester or London into British
bottoms: they therefore are treated as imports from the United Kingdom.
British manufacturers might find it to their interest to study the reason
why their Dutch competitors are able to send these goods to Persia and find
a sale for them, notwithstanding that they have to pay extra freight and other
charges to the British port of transhipment.
It is noticeable in the returns that kerosine oil is growing into general
use, and it is gradually finding its way into the markets of the interior? His
obvious that with the increased use of this illuminant, a large demand for
lampware, especially of cheap quality, will be created. All lamps in use here
are either of Austrian or German make* There appears no reason why
British manufacturers cannot imitate the Austrians and Germans and
participate in this trade, which, though yet young, promises to become
prominent.
In addition to the steamers of the old-established shipping companies
mentioned in last year’s report, the British and Colonial Steam Navigation
company, Limited, sent a few of their chartered vessels to Persian Gulf
for shells ^ averaged 24 shillings per ton for general cargo and 40 shillings

Pr‘Ceu Jood'stuff3 continued high for the first five months of the
C eathered f.fisures 0v<!r,0PPinS tll0SU f°r 1897. When the harvest