Page 293 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

FOR TQfi YEAR 1014. 9
TUo Local Finance Agent was of the opinion that this sum could bo raised
in tiio province exclusive of revenue grain. At the same timo, Hu* Majesty’s
Consul pressed for an immediate advance of £50,000 for urgent expenditure,
including arrears of pay duo to various departments, and also a reserve to meet
expenses of the unproductive opening months of the following revenue year.
It was important to ensure the sum mentioned being expended in Pars itself,
and His Majesty s Consul incidentally explained the necessity for the immediate
dismissal of the Governor-General. He pointed out that, of the £30,000
supposed to have been earmarked for Fare in 1913 (vide page 20, Annual
Administration Report, 1913), the province had only received £10,000. A later
statement modified this and showed that Pars had actually received £18,500.
In early July, Hia Majesty’s Consul, Shiraz, was at Tehran, where he
discussed the financial situation with the Treasurer-General and induced the
latter to consent to the establishment of a most important principle, to wit,
that revenue collected in the province of Pars should not be remitted to Tehran
but remain in the Local Branch of the Imperial Bank of Persia to the credit of
the Local Finance Agent, who would he empowered to draw on this banking
account for expenditure under the provisions of a budget sanction by the
Central Government.
It would be unfair to close this epitome of the local events in Pars, in
which hard things have been said of the Gendarmerie, uitlout stating that
the year under report, though it commenced very badly, has ended well and
that the last six months of the year have shown the province to be in a state of
tranquillity, unparalleled any time these past five years. On the Bushire*
Shiraz road. Jlohdari lias ceased, caravans and travellers have passed practically
unmolested and credit must he given to the Gendarmerie for having brought
about, for the moment, this satisfactory state of affairs.
Remarkably tranquil. On the 22nd October Saiyid Murteza Ahrami
(cide page 11 of the Annual Administra­
Condition of Bushiro and surrounding districts.
tion Report of 1909) returned to Bushiro
from Kcrbala and proceeded to Dashti He returned to Bushire on the 7th
December but appeal's to be living here quietly and anxious not to attract
attention to himself.
During the first half of the year, the affairs of the Municipality attracted
some attention. Thu Muwaqqar-ed-Dowleh has effected some notable reforms
within the town itself, principally in road-making, cleansing of the town and
repairing the sea front. To continue the good work, he was anxious to tax
foreigneis for municipal purposes. The Residency was glad to do what was
possible to assist and, as a result of voluminous correspondence, Sir E. Grey
authorised His Majesty’s Minister at Tehran not to instruct but advise British
subjects to pay the proposed new municipal taxes at Bushire, on the condition
that the Governor was informed at the same time that the right to object to
the payment of such taxes is reserved if at any time under tho present
Governor or his successors it appeared that British subjects are getting no
benefit from the levy, or that the funds collected are being squandered or not
devoted to the objects specified. Sir E. Grey further stipulated that it be
made quite clear that tue payment of any taxes, which cannot be claimed as
due under tho 1903 Convention, is for specific purposes of public utility,
whereby British subjects benefit equally wifcn others and does not involve any
bleach in the validity of that instrument.
A further condition laid down was that other Foreign subjects also paid
these taxes, while His Majesty’s Minister reserved to His Majesty’s Govern­
ment the right to consider the whole question at the end of this year.
Probably as a result of the limitations thus imposed, the Provincial
Controller of Finance, on tho 1st August, informed the Resident that he had
deferred the question of the payment by foreign nationals of the new municipal
taxes until furthor ordeis wero received by him on tho eubjeot.
At the end of 1913, a portion of Colonel Merrill’s local force was
despatched to Bushire to assist the Gov­
Dashti end DailitUtar,
ernor in collecting the revenues of these
districts. His Excellency never believed in these men, who, he said, were