Page 757 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY, 1020. 2,3
The Governor-General bestirred himself forthwith and issued orders
abolishing rahdari throughout the province in the second week in July and
posted some of his Bukhtiari sowars on the more important trade* routes to see
that the orders wore carried out.
The Persian Government after some half-hearted at temp's to reduce the
Qarasuran allotment finally gave way to the pressure brought to bear by the
Governor-General and sanctioned the payment..of the allotment at the old
rate from the date of the issue of the Govcrnor-Geueral’s nolice abolishing
the levy of ruln.ari.
Further endeavours on the part of Sardar Assad resulted in sanction being
given for the payment of the allotment for the period from the commence­
ment of the Persian financial year till the date of the issue of the notice.
The Governor-General saw that his orders were carried out and from the
second week in July until the close of the year no tolls were levied from
caravans.
The charge of the Department was held by Amir Shaukat until July
when he was removed by the Governor-General who himself assumed charge.
In October Amir Shaukat was reinstated and continued in charge until
the end of the year.
The charge of the Be venue Department has been held by Baji Iz-ul-
Mamalik throughout tbo year.
Owing to the fact that the revenue grain had been purchased during 1919
by the Governor-General at absurdly low
Fiunncial and Revenue Department.
rates and that the revenue for 1920 had
been anticipated to a large (unount to. meet three months arrears of salaries
accumulated during 1919, the year-opened with a deficit of between 35 and 40
thousand Tumans. Vain appeals to Tehran for funds elicited an order to the
Financial Agent to put off the evil day by meeting current demands by drafts
payable from the revenue due on the spring harvest. This was doue and the
Financial Agent wasatleJo struggle through to the close of the English year
meeting all the demands made >upon him by the various departments of the
province.
A halfrhcavted interest was evinced on several occasions during U\e year
by the Finance Ministry in the finances of the province and the Financial
Agent was requested to Submit proposals for. .^eduction of -expenditure. This
he did but no action was taken to stop the sources of waste that ho pointed out.
The main sources of wa^fe are the Qarasuran, Army Department and Goveruor-
General’8 sowars which between them absorb two-thirds of the revenue of the
province. At least half the money spent on these three departments could be
saved without detriment to the security of the province. '1 he revenue which
amounts to about Tumans 300,000 per annum could be increased by a modern
land revenue settlement and the province could with little effort yield a substan­
tial surplus for remission to the Capital.
The Governor-General wa8, through the offoits of the Financial Agent
hacked by Ilis Majesty’s Consul, prevented from meddling in the disposal of
revenue grain and the old practice vas reverted to of collecting and storing
in the anbars of the Revenue Department the grain collected from the districts
situated near to Kerman.. This grain, amounting to about 1000 Kharwars, was
held until the close of the year* and the fact that this large amount was
generally known to ho in store and could at any moment ho thrown on the
market had an excellent effect in regulating the price of bread and' preventing
the formation of land-owners rings and artificially raised prices.
The revenue grain from the more distant district was sold by tender in the
early autumn at favourable rates.
Haji Iz-nl-M^majik was . suoessful in recovering the land revenue
practically if\. full .aud. Jbhe arrears outstanding at the end of the year were
negligible. Ho is, stf for as His Majesty’s Consul has been able to judge that
rara avis—an honest and conscientious Persian official and has the true interests
of hi* country at heart. Ho has by the exercise of tact and moderation main-
tainod cordial relations with'his grasping fellow'omcials.