Page 758 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

24 administration report of the
Rafi-ul-Wizara administered tko Opium Department throughout the yoar.
The opium contract to Toumnninntz was
Opiatn Departmout.
eanco lied in July and the ofiico thereafter
became a Persian Government department. During the Tonmaniantz contract
the Government tax was 14 shnliis per miscal and the net income of the
department amounted to about Turnans 25,000 per annum. On the Persian
Government reassuming the direct administration of the department the tax
was raised to 21 shahis per miscnl and wholesale smuggling took place with the
result that the income was only just sufficient to pay the administrative
expenses of the department and ho surplus was available for remission to
Tehran.
In November the Nftvaqil (octroi) and tobacco regie were transferred from
the Revenue to the Opium Department.
It is estimated that if it were possible to collect the tax on all the opium
grown in the province the net annual income of the department would exceed
Tumans 200,000.
Rafi-ul-Wizara is an incompetent and dishonest official who derives an
excellent income by shutting Lis eyes to the smuggling that takes place and
has no desire to sec any change in the corrupt administration of his depart­
ment.
A tobacco regie office was opened in February under orders from the capital
and Muhtesham-ul-Mamalik, the 6ou of
Tobacco Dojiartineut.
Amir Shaukat, a languid youth with no
qualifieat'ons except that of being the son of a local grandee, appointed
agent. The usual outcry at the imposition of new taxatiou was raised when
the rules were notified and telegrams of protest to the capital produced an
order that stocks of tobacco in the hands of merchants at the time of the
publication of the rules were to be exempt from taxation.
The charge of the Department of Education and Religious Bequests was
held by Sheikh Yahya until November
Departuiout of.K<huati«u aud Hcli^ioas Bcque.t*.
when he resigned. A clerk in the
Department held temporary charge pending the arrival of the new incumbent,
Mirza Reza Khan, who howevor had not reached Kerman up to the close of
tho year.
Justice.—Mirza Abdul Rahim Khan administered tho department during
the year uuder review.
Elect ions.— In September the local Democrats, encouraged by the Prime
Minister’s communique to the Tehran press, made a final and vigorous attempt
to upset the elections completed last year. They prepared and despatched long
telegrams from the town aud districts protesting that the moderate delegates
had been elected by means of bribery and undue influence exerted by the large
land-owners on their tenant.- and followers. Those efforts failed and in response
to an urgent summons from the capital tho last two deputies from the province
left for Tehran in November.
Democrats.—Owing to the presence of the South Persia Rifles and the
security and good order thereby secured, the Democrat or Extremist party has
had tittle opportunity for activity, and has confined its energies to holding
seditious mootings and giving currency to malicious and false rumours cal­
culated to bring discredit upon the British and tho Moderate party.
In March the murder took place in Rawar of a certain Saycd Mustafa who
during tho elections had been prominent in securing the election of the Moderate
candidate of that district and had in consequence incurred the enmity of the
local Democrats. There was conclusive evidence that the crime was a political
oue and was instigated by a certain Abbas Khan Nakhai, the leading Rawar
Democrat, and carried out by five of his servants but, owing to the energetic
action taken by the Kerman and Rewur democrats and the expenditure of large
sums by them in bribes to the Adliyeh and other officials, tho criminals were
acquitted.
The endeavours of the Democrat party to upset tho elections has been
noticed under * Elections \