Page 708 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

62 ANNUAL RETORT ON THE PERSIAN GULP POLITICAL RE8IDEN0Y.
destination, intact if indeed any portion of the suma collected survived the
oonstant demands made by avaricious officials.
Buraj-ul-Mulk came breathing reform but bis stay ■was. short but from
his point of view exceedingly sweet. He departed to Bombay with some
thirteen thousand rupees wherewith to purchase ledgers, oto., but returned after
a presumably exhilarating stay in India, with a revolving chair and a dozen
rubber stamps. Ho shortly after, on a plea of sickness, aepartod for Tohcran.
It was only after his departure that I was enabled to turn my serious attention
to the question of increasing revenue receipts without increasing the demand
With the object in view of reduoing the expenditure of His Majesty’s Govern­
ment in Arabistan. The War was over and tho necessity of securing our
right fla'nk no longer of that paramount importance that made the quasi-
occupation of Arabistan a matter of necessity. It is true that I had no autho-
rity to interfere with the revenue arrangements of a neutral country,
but it W88 felt that inasmuch as revenue demands were mot entirely by the*
pressure of the Political Officer, it was unobjectionable for him if, indeed, not
incumbent on him to see that receipts reached the Persian Government as
intact a8 possible. I found very considerable leakago under the head of indirect
taxation as it did not appear to be politically sound to insist on the dismissal
of dishonest personnel, which would have meant the disruption of the whole
department, I had recourse to farming. This, too, wa9 a matter of some diffi­
culty 03 Mustaufi had, with the connivance of Suraj-ul-Mulk, taken over
through various members of his family, all the more profitable sources of
revenue. Slight friotion between Mustaufi and another member of the Revenue
Department, to whom he had leased the Nawaqil, gave me the opportunity for
which I was waiting. The result has been that receipts from indirect taxation
have nearly doubled, and I found myself in a position to propose that the
Persian Government take over the payment of subsidies to tribes that should
actually es well as nominally be controlled by the Governor-General of Arabis­
tan. It is calculated that with efficient supervision the results of indirect
taxation should be sufficient to meet the larger portion of the Governor-
General’s Budget. Direct taxation receipts are also excellent, a hint that
landlords who did not promptly pay revenue demands would not be entitled
to protection against raids being sufficient to guarantee immediate payment.
A book of classes paying revenue was compiled in English and Persian, and
revenue under this head shows a most satisfying increase.
The lately-arri ved Rais of Maliyeh. Muaziz-ul-Mulk, seems energetic and
honest and is really trying to establish order amongst his subordinates. I
anticipate that the improvement in revenue will mean a saving to His Majesty's
Government of approximately £5,000 a year, nor do I anticipate any reduction
in British prestige, as subsidies will, as heretofore be paid through tie Political
Office though the source of payment will be Persian.
Trade.—Trade has generally flourished in Dizful and Shush tar, though the
variations in exchange have had their effect here as in other places. I was able,
through experimenting with a Dizful loom, to. introduce to.the notice.of .tho
Mesopotamia Corporation a tweed very similar to Sootoh.and . Irish ho [XU
The Corporation have taken the tweed, up commercially V and have p! an
initial order, of 1,200 .yards.
The principal trade in Dizful and Shushtar is in piece-good, sugar of the
loaf and ordinary kind, and tea. Dizful supplies Lurisfan, and ShuBhtar
Bakhtiari.
The Dizful Bridge Company has declared a half-yearly dividend of 10 po*
cent, on ordinary shares, British Government shares being paid as preference
shares at 7 Per cent. With the proviso that no serious disaster befalls the
Bridge, it should pro re to be a highly remunerative measure both politically
and financially.
The Dizful Motor Company, plying between Ahwaz and 8husli, and Ahwaz
and Basrah has a fleet of seven cars, and is making fair progress though a lac*
of good drivers rather tento increase expenses.
General.—The political tone is eminently satisfactory, and the news of tbe
new treaty was received with undisguised satisfaction. Relations with the