Page 491 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

FOR TUB TEAR 1010. 67
Such arms then as arc obtained are from stock which still exist in tho
country
The Arms Warehouse has worked satisfactorily.
The Superintendent, Abduf Rahman, died in September.
A temporary Superintendent was appointed in the person of Muhammad
Ibrahim, an Indian, and the financial Secretary to His Ilighncss.
Saiyid Abu Salih, the displaced Customs Superintendent, was appointed
Superintendent of the Arms Warehouse, in December 191G, and appears to be a
satisfactory man but his work is a sinecure.
Trado has gone from had to worse during the year as shown by the follow­
ed*. iug tables:—
Imports. Export*.
£ £
1913-14 407,728 271,537
1914-15 327,C12 274,939
1915-16 242,094 138,121
It is anticipated that a bigger fall will bo shown in 191G-17. No business
is being done in the town and the leading member of the Hindu community
informed the Political Agent that many of the traders would leave Oman if
they had not so many outstandings which they could not recover during the
present disturbed state of the country. It is worthy to note that these occur in.
the country under the rule of the Sultan* The “ Imam ” causes all debts to be
paid.
Dates, pomegranates aad other fruits form the staple export of the interior.
The custom has always been for the traders in the ports to visit the interior or
to send his Agent to make local purchases on the spot.
It is now, however, impossible for any British Subject to visit the interior
and it is equally impossible for the owners of property to visit the ooast towns.
It, has thus been found necessary to make as Agents for both parties the
owner of the caravans who are allowed to pass freely from the interior to the
coast aud vice-versa. This safe conduct is a necessity to both sides since, unless
the dates, etc., reached the coast, tho grower would have no market for the
produce; while the Sul tan agrees to the plan since it allows him to collect his
5 per cent, duty without which his reduced revenues would be still further
attenuated.
The caravan owner is, however, often not only unreliable but also illiterate
and thus proves an unsatisfactory Agent. Profits are accordingly reduced and
trade suffers.
The once prosperous town of Maskat first dependent for its prosperity
on tho Navy and merchant service which made the Sultan of Maskat an
overlord of fame throughout the East and which, later, maintained some measure
of its ancient prosperity by means of the arms traffic, is now steadily dwindling,
pmpty houses and ruins mark its decay; day by day the signs of its decadence
increase and presumably will continue to do so more and more until such time
? trade with the interior becomes possible again, though it will never achieve
its earlier importance as a trade centre for distribution to Persia and Mesopo-

Landing arrangements were not satisfactory and traders had difficulty in
receiving claims. Saiyid Yusuf-al-Zawawi remained in charge of the work
^hich was, however, at tho end of the year, transferred to tho Customs Depart­
ment a much more satisfactory arrangement, since it left the control of goods
m one band from tho time of leaving tbo ship’s side till handed over to the
“lerchant. Formerly any merchant demanding compensation for goods lost or
dm *0un<* Mnwdf engaged as a shuttlecock in a game of battledore and
nuttlecock between tho Landing Agents, the Customs and the Shipping Agents,
Trad*. 21. Slaves wore freed during the year
under report,