Page 59 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

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CHAPTER |V.

^MINISTRATION REPORT FOR THE KERMAN CONSULATE FOR
THE YEAR 1912,

Lieutenant-Colonel T. W. Haig held charge of the Consulate from the
Britub CcwJ.il beginning of the year until October 23rd
» Major W. F. T. C*W, O.I B, ”‘"W b?

Major O’Connor in turn made over charge to Captain D. L. R. Lorimer
by telegraph, on October 31st. Captain Lorimer, the writer of the present
report, did not arrive at Kerman during the year under review, and he there­
fore writes without any personal knowledge of the facts or events recorded.
Lieutenant-Colonel T. W. Haig, C. M. G., left Kerman for Bandar Abbas,
proceeding on leave, on 3rd October 1912, and reached the latter place on 23rd
October 1912. On leaving Kerman he made over acting charge to Mr. L.
Newman, Local Manager of the Imperial Bank of Persia who continued to be
acting Consul until 23th November 1912, when he was relieved by the Honor­
ary A'ice-Consul Mirza Nasrullah Khan.
This appointment of a private individual, Mr. Newman, led to a demur by
the Indo-European Telegraph Department, who urged that it was customary in
such circumstances to entrust the Consulate to the Senior Gazetted Government
Officer in the station, in this case the Superintendent, Mr. Tanner. Lieutenant
Colonel Haig adduced reasons in this case for his choice, and the appointment
was upheld by higher authority; but it will doubtless not form a precedent.
The Imperial Bank is interested in so many commercial cases, that the position
of the Manager, when plaintiff as well as Consul, must inevitably become
somewhat delicate.
Honorary Tice-Consul Mirza Nasrullah Khan proceeded on one year’s
leave to Shiraz, on the 27th March 1912. He returned before his leave had
elapsed, on the 23th November 1912, after which he held charge of the
Consulate till the end of the year. No steps were taken to supply his place
during his absence, with the result that His Majesty’s Consul (in this case a
Persian Scholar) had to undertake his own vernacular correspondence and
copying work, and to perform the outside duties of Consulate Mirza himself,
or else depute them to the Mirza of the Bank. The disadvantages of . such an
arrangement are sufficiently obvious.
The new system of Financing His Majesty’s Consulates in Persia (under
the control of toe Government of India) laid down in the letter of the Govern-
of India in the Foreign Department, No. 2085-Est. A, dated 6th July
1512, was introduced with effect from 1st July 1912. It entailed a serious
tednetioa in the funds of the Consulate, and the reduction of the staff by the
of the two English clerks.
Owing to the reduction of the grants and the exceptional expenses incurred
the relief during the year, both of the Escort and of the Consul, the new
allowance was exceeded.
As regards the reduction of the staff, this only took effect from the
13th September 1912, or shortly before the Consulate was deprived of a
Proper Consul. 13ie new system of accounts has not yet, i i practice* produoed
Mention of votk in any way equivalent to the loss of the service of one

The Indian Consular Escort was relieved on 5th August 1912, the detach-
of 10th Lancers being replaced by one of the 23rd Cavalry. Qf tbp
fatter the 5 sejracs came from Ahwaz on the reduction strength of the eeooxt
and the Daffadar ’came direct from India. Both escorts were mneh
eu route by the insecurity of fhc Bandar Abbaa-Kerman road. !fhe
^ left Ahwaz pn 2qd May 1912 and only reached Kerman pi\ Qp
*