Page 227 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

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POR THE TEAR 1013. 86
rotated against the action taken and informed the Director of Customs and
jLts that, without orders from the British Legation in Tehran, ho could not
1 it tho Persian Post OOicc to be placed within tho limit of a British con-
in
cessi°n*
Notwithstanding this protest, it transpired that letters were being accepted
the Poat Office which, indeed, issued picture post-cards to popularise the
no* venture.
Ilia Majesty’s Consul was obliged to inform the Director of Customs that*
to the inconvenicucc caused by the public using the thoroughfare to the
post Office, the company wmuld be obliged to close tho road leading to it.
Tho mat ter had been, in the meantime, referred to His Majesty’s Minister
3t Tehran, and the office was finally closed in tho month of March.
After the close of the year tho Director of Customs again approached His
jlajestj’8 Consul asking whether His Majesty’s Government would object to a
post Office being instituted at Abadan outside of the limits of the Oil Company.
At tho same time the Anglo-Persian Oil Company asked whether it would
be possible to place a British Post Office at Abadan, more especially to deal
vrith the money order business which had attained large dimensions and was
becoming a tax on the company.
These two questions were taken to Bushire for discussion with Mr Lorimer.
His death prevented their being taken up and they have since been kept- pend­
ing the arrival of His Majesty’s Minister’s despatch, on the general
subject of Post Offices in Persia, reference to which will follow on the subject
of the British Post Office which was proposed for Ahwaz.
Ahicaz.—In his letter, No. 431, dated Oth February 1913, to the Govern­
ment of India, on the subject of British Post Offices in the Persian Gulf, Sir
Percy Cox raised the point that there was no British Post Office at Ahwaz. He
stated “ the principal firms have learnt by bitter experience that correspondence
of urgency or importance cannot safely be entrusted to the Persian Post Office**
.................. “it would be convenient, both with a view to facilitating our
commerce and emphasising the position of Ahwaz as one of the ports of the
Persian Gulf to initiate a British Post Office there.” His Majesty’s Consul was
accordingly called upon for a report and suggested that, in the circumstances,
a launch service would be preferable to a laud service, since the base of our con­
tention was that Ahwaz was a Gulf port.
Negotiations were accordingly opened with Messrs. Strick, Scott and Com­
pany, the agents of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, who, after the close of the
year, agreed to accept a subsidy of £230 per aunum and to maintain a weekly
launch service for the purpose in connection with the British India mail
steamers.
Tho Postmaster-General having objected to this charge being made against
the Postal service, it was recommended that any deficit should be met by a
Political grant.
While the final contracts were being drawn out after the conclusion of the
year, a telegram was received by the Resident from His Majesty’s Minister at
Tehran in which it was stated that the Persian Government had objected to the
institution of the proposed Post Office and that a despatch dealing with the
general question of British Post Offices in Persia had been sent to Bushire.
All Post Office questions have been kept pending its arrival since
it would be of little use putting up suggestions until the tenour of this despatch
h known.
Mohammerah.—The work of the British Post Office has continued to
expand and it has been found necessary to obtain better accommodation than
the present cramped quarters within the Consulate building.
Plans for a now Post Office are being approved and a site of land, along-
8'de tho Consulate, has been obtained from the Shaikh for the erection of the
new building.