Page 617 - PERSIAN 2C 1890_1899_Neat

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RESIDENCY AND M A SKAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOB THE YEAR 1806-99.
Drugs and Medicine*. —The demand lias been less, more probably on
account of the inability of the poorer olasBoa to purchase than because of any
particular improvement in the general health.
Ola as and Olassioare.—The imports into Bushiro show an increase of
108 per cent, and at Bunder Abbas of 40 per cent, over tlioso for the previous
year. The revival of this trade is chiefly due to a greater demand in the
interior of Persia for cheap lamps, table glasses and looking glasses.
Gold lace and thread.—In the aggregate, the imports show an advance
of about Us. 16,170, the demand for gold embroidered cloths and muslins
from India, Turkoy and Franco having increased. The last mentioned country
supplied all the gold thread.
Hardware and Cutlery.—The improvement over the preceding year's
returns for this trade cannot yet be considered satisfactory, as the figures are
still lower than those of 1896. India is shown as being the principal exporter
in this line, but most of the articles exported by that country were of German
manufacture and cheap quality.
Indigo.—Calcutta samples continue to be neglected and transactions have
been limited to the cheaper sorts. “Oudh” indigo is said to be preferred
in most of the Persian markets. The revival of the weaving industry and
dyeing operations in the interior caused a greater quantity of the dye to be
used this year, thereby improving the imports by about Rs. 1,20,428. It
is however reported that largo stocks remained unsold at the close of the
year.
Matches—The import of this article has declined to the extent of
Rs. 16,720, consequent upon the tightness of money amongst the poorer classes.
Austria takes the lead in the export to this country, and Japan matches
are finding their way through India into the Persian markets. The latter
description do not seem, however, to meet with much favor at present.
Metals.—The trade under this head, as compared with that of 1897,
shows the very considerable increase of Rs. 2,63,0-19, due almost entirely to the
large imports of copper and brass. All other metals with the exception of
tin show a slight decrease.
Oil, Kerosine.—This article is gradually coming into more general use
making its way into the markets of the interior and taking the place of
candles.
Porcelain and Chinaicare.—The growing demand among the upper classes
in the northern districts for a better quality of porcelain of European manu­
facture induced dealers to import greater quantities than last year. The
imports of suoli description, consequently, rose 40 per cent. There was,
however, a sharp decline in the trade in cheap wares from China, so that
the total value of the imports was lower than the previous year by Rs. 29,040.
Seventy five per cent, of the porcelain imported was supplied by the United
Kingdom.
Provisions and Stores.—The figures for 1898 show that the value of pro­
visions imported was more than treble the amount for 1897. The principal
articles were wheat, flour and barley from Karachi, and rice from Calcutta
and Burma. The increase amounted to Rs. 7,10,110. These abnormal figures
were caused by the failure of the local crops for three consecutive years.
Sugar, loaf.—There was a considerable falling off in this commodity,
amounting to 4.0 per cent, on the figures for the previous year. As in the case
cf some other imports, the decrease -was mainly due to a greater number of the
poorer classes being constrained bv necessity to favor the cheaper article, viz.%
soft sugar. The lead in the import appears still to be kept by France, though
Germany and Austria are keenly competing in the trade, and Egypt has made
an attempt to obtain a footing in the market. Transactions are said to have
been generally satisfactory to traders, the exception perhaps being in tlie case
of German importers, who have tried to compete unsuccessfully with the
French by asking 15 per cent. less.
Sugar, soft.—-The decline in loaf sugar has benefited the trade in tbit
article, musing it to advance 60 per cent, on the trade of 1897, and 6 per cent,
on that of 1896, The principal exporting countries are Germany, France and