Page 121 - PERSIAN 8 1931_1940_Neat

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CHAPTER V.
Administration Report of His Majesty's Consulate. Kerman FOR THE YEAR
1932.
A.—British Interests.
1. IIis Majesty's Consulate—personnel.—Mr. G. A. Richardson, O.B.E., held
the officiating charge of the Consulate (in addition to holding the appointment
of His Majesty’s Consul, Bandar Abbas) till the forenoon of the 9th December
when he was relieved by Captain C. H. Lincoln, O.B.E., from Mohammerah.
Khan Bahadur Abdul Alim, L.K., held the post of Indian Attache to His
Majesty’8 Consul, throughout the year.
2. Consulate Wbrk.—(a) 34 British subjects were registered at the Consulate
during the year, the number registered during 1931 being 54.
(5) The campaign of espionage on the Consulate on behalf of the Police
authorities continued throughout the year. A certain Mirza Darwish, a Persian
subject, who was formerly a Munshi in the British Vice-Consulate, Bam, but since
its closing down in 1906, kept on supplying local news to the Consulate, was
arrested in Bam by the Police authorities on the 26th January and sent to Kerman
where he died on the 9th March in the Police lock-up.
The anniversary of II. I. M. the Shah’s Birthday and the Nauruz were
celebrated by the acting Governor-General on the 15th and 21st March
respectively. On both the occasions the acting Governor-General abstained from
sending any official intimation or invitation to the Consulate as had always been
done before. His Majesty’s officiating Consul, however, paid complimentary
visits.
(c) A Hindu trader, Pamanmal, was sent up to Kerman from Bandar Abbas
in May to stand his trial for attempting to smuggle, in April 1931, 413 miscals
of gold out of Persia. The Court of the First Instance sentenced him to three
months' imprisonment and to a fine of double the value of the gold. Pamanmal,
who was absolutely destitute, filed an appeal which was heard on the 28th July.
He received unofficial support of the Consulate. At the hearing by the Appeal
Court he denied having admitted at the lower court that the gold was his, but
staled that it actually belonged to another Hindu, Waparimal, at Bandar Abbas.
The Appeal Court forwarded the dossier to the latter place for further enquiry
and nothing further has been heard of the case. In the meantime Pamanmal
appears to have returned to India, his surety at Bandar Abbas (a third Hindu)
has died and Waparimal has also proceeded to India.
There were no other criminal cases concerning British subjects tried during
the year by the local Courts.
3. Imperial Bank of Persia and Trade in General.—Mr. W. Y. Gow con­
tinued as Manager of the Kerman Branch till the end of October when he was
relieved, on transfer to Mohammerah, by Mr. V. H. Glendening from Resht.
Mr. J. F. Luttrell was Accountant throughout the year.
There is very little to say about business during the period under review
pxcept to repeat what is unfortunately becoming an only too monotonous
remark—Nothing doing ”. High customs and the new trade regulations have
not improved matters in any way and the fact that business in general has fallen
off considerably is confirmed by the shortness of ready cash in the bazaars.
The average demand Rupee buying and selling rates for “ Free ” exchange
during the year were :—
Buying •» • Rials. 756 per Rs. 100.
Selling t • Rials. 762 per Rs. 100.
These rates may, however, be taken as practically nominal as very little
business was done in Rupees by the local Banks during the period under
report.
4. Church Missionary Society.—(a) General.—During the year the Rev.
H. E. J. Biggs continue^ to discharge the duties of Chaplain and Mr. F. T. B.
Snow, M.A. (Cantab.), was in charge of the C. M. S. Boys' School. Miss J. F.
Woodroffc remained In charge of the Girls’ School throughout.
Dr G. E. Dodson was the head of the Medical Mission, assisted by Dr. (Miss)
Piggot as Medical Officer of the Female Hospital. Miss Stratton, who was in