Page 211 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

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FOE THE YEAR 1013. 69.
Qtjjo Telegraph Ofllco at Tahrucl was plundered by Baluohia ia May. Mr. ;
•fanner further reports:— !
«Last August an Afghan caravan smashed nine insulators near
r mac and did other damage. As the Afghans are gonorally well armed
j numerous we arc helpless against them, and the only hope of stopping their
fixations is to have thorn stopped as thoy cross the border into Afghanistan
jjut at present the Persians have no force for such a project
A Sistani lashkar also did considerable damage to the lino in October
1013 The matter was reported to the British Consul, Sistan, but I have not
been informed if any action was taken on the report.’*
As regards the arraugemeuts for protecting the line in Baluchistan, he
makes the following favourable report:—
“ With the aid of Mr. Lccoffre, we have been able to put the guard
supplied by the Porsian Government for the lines in Baluchistan on a better
footing as regards pay. Rifles and ammunition have also been issued to them,
also brass * nishaas * to enable them to be identified. The members of the
Xalirui tribe, under Alishah Khan, and Taj Muhammad Khan, who have been
deputed to guard the line between Bam and the frontier, are doing very well,
and we arc satisfied with them.
“ By raeai s of t hose men we are able to get into touch with other Baluchi
tribes, and in this way we have more than once been able to recover articles
and animals that have been stolen from our people. Their influence is also
niakiug itself felt in the reduction of wilful damage lo the line. Certain
Afghan caravans are the greatest sinners in this respect now.’*
The following is his report on the telegraphic work of the Department
during the year
“ Messages, both forwarded and received, and both International and local,
show a decrease as compared with 1912. As the local rates have been lowered
the receipts payable to the Persian Telegraph Administration show a considerable
decrease. ”
Imperial Bank of Persia —The Bank gave much work to His Majesty’s
Consulate during the first part of the year. They had been conducting certain
large bankruptcy cases on behalf of themselves and the Hindu creditors, and
they had allowed* these cases to get into a state of great confusion. The Bank
llirza, Mustafa Khan, had, in 1912, been appointed official representative not
only of the Bank, but also of the Hindus and of His Majesty’s Consulate, and for
many months he naturally managed all affairs concerned with them, his views
and recommendations being in all cases adopted Being a Persian be, of course,
abused his position, and there is satisfactory evidence that he was positively
dishonest in several instances.
In March, the Managar, Mr. Newman, was transferred to Tehran making
overcharge to the Accountant, Mr. Gardner. Fortunately charge was again
transferred to Mr. A. Wright in June. Mr. Wright has spent an enormous
amount of labour in trying to get things iuto order and has to a large extent
succeeded. He is now under orders again for Yezd, which is much to be
regretted
Strengthened by evidence obtained by Mr. Wright;, His Majesty’s Consul
deprived Mirza Mustafa Khan of the authority which he had held for a year on
behalf of the Consulate and Hindus. He has also strongly recommended that
the Bank should remove the man from Kerman and has informed them that he
will decline in future in any way to recognise him. Mirza Mustafa was not
only dishonest, but also extremely tactless and was on the worst of terms with
all the local officials. f
His Majesty’s Consul has further insisted on the Hindus appointing an agent
of thoir own. Thoy always seek to get others, the Bank or the Consulate, to
pull their chesnuts out of the fire for them, aud then oomplain that they have
ocen swindled.
The Hindu*.—The Hindus have carried on their business, it is believed*
with profit. They are now more oautious in their dealings with Persians. The