Page 92 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat
P. 92

82              PERSIAN GULP ADMINISTRATION REPORT
                     The following table shows the average rates of hire for the past three yca

                             DoMription.                 1010.         ion.   191*

                                                  Camels.   417 Kra.   5*49    0-55
                                               {   Donkeys.  3-17  u   3-00    C 75
                 Almaz to Ispahan per Shah maund.  Mules.   4-00  »    6-98
                                                                               ■kCO
                                                   Camels.   2-90              8-00
                                                   Mules.   2-75   „    2*70   3-00
                 Ispahan to Ahwax do.              Donkeys.   2-00 „           3-00
                                                  Opium per
                                                    case.  37-50   „   48-33  63-90

                     Mr. Sotham with an assistant engineer and staff commenced work on the
                 temporary repair of the Godar Bridge in February. The Bakhtiari Khans had
                 in 1911 agreed to pay a sum of Krans 60,000 for this work. The temporary
                 repairs were completed in May. The extensive and costly structural alterations
                 which are necessary to put the bridge into a permanently satisfactory condition
                 were discussed during the year between Messrs. Lynch Brothers’ Tehran agent
                 and the Bakhtiari Khans but no decision was arrived at.
                    The practical cessation of trade on the Luristan route has been mentioned
                under Luristan.
                     Messrs. Lynch Brothers.—Mr. Abel remained |in charge of the Alnvax
                                                agency throughout the year. In May
                           British interests.
                                                Mr. Traylor was appointed to Ahwaz as
                assistant to Mr. Abel.
                    Ar.glo-Bersicn Oil Company.—The pipe line and pumping stations have
                been working through the greater part of the year and have proved extra­
                ordinarily satisfactory, not a single leakage or burst having occurred.
                    The drilling operations at the fields have progressed satisfactorily, and at
                 the clcre of the year five wells were supplying crude oil to the refinery at
                 Abadan, eight, othera were capped and in a position to produce whenever requir­
                 ed, eleven more had been drilled through to the caprock and could be brought
                into production in the course of a few days and two others were in process of
                drilling.
                    The work at the fields has throughout the year been well ahead of the
                 requirements of the refinery.                      ^
                     Excellent discipline has been maintained at the fields and there have been
                 no disorders to record either among the European or native staffs.
                    The attitude of the Bakhtiari Khans and tribesmen towards the Company
                 has been most satisfactory during the year, no friction of any sort being experi­
                 enced.
                    The Khans, though repeatedly pressed to do so, had up to the end of the
                year taken no steps to compensate their tribesmen who formerly cultivated the
                 Company’s land.
                     Mr. Bitchie continued as General Fields Manager and in charge of the
                 pipe line throughout the year, Mr. Capito acting as assistant Fields Manager.

                    His Majesty's Vice-Consul visited Mohammerah from 1st January to 2nd
                                                February and again from 20th February
                  Tours of Hia B/i tunic Majest/’a Representative.
                                                to' 6th March. He left on tour »
                Bamuz on the 14th April arriving on the 16th. A halt there of 15 days ***
                necessitated by the situation in Arabistan. Leaving Kamuz on the 5th
                Ispahan was reached on the 21st idem.
                                                                                 the
                    From Ispahan Captain Grey was summoned to Tehran to discuss
                Bakhtiari situation with His Majesty's Minister. He left for Tehran 011
                BCth May returning to Ispahan on the 25th June.
                    On 24th August Captain Grey left Ispahan for Chighakhor on deput**1?^
                .with Eardar-i-Jang. He remained with this chief until 1st October when
                left for Ahwaz zid the oil fields reaching headquarters on the 20th October.
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