Page 348 - PERSIAN 8 1931_1940_Neat

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fltf the annual migrations. The date for the carrying out of these measures
is not yet fixed- but a decrease in the moving of the tribes has alreadv
taken place. *
Yawar Bahman Mirza, Mas’ud, the military governor of the Qashqai
was frequently at Shiraz for liaison work with the military and civil
authorities.
Sarhang Qasim Jalil, military governor of the Chahar Lang section
of the Bakhtiari, was also at Shiraz in July.
The Governor-General, with a senior military officer from the capital
toured in Mamassani during August, visiting Tai-i-Khosrau and Semirum!
This visit was connected with tribal settlement.
Jt is unfortunate that irrigation work for the drying-up of the swamps
near Tal-i-Khosrau has been neglected or planned without sufficient skill
as the new settlement is a centre of malaria.
The property of the Qavam-ul-Mulk at Dilgusha, on the outskirts of
Shiraz, was transferred to government in September. This completes the
taking over of all the properties of this chieftain in Shiraz in exchange
fbr properties in the North. It is said that the owner has not suffered oyer
the exchanges, which ho was able to negotiate whilst still in favour.
Some concern was caused in December by the disappearance of
Ibrahim (Khan) Farbud, the ex-munshi-bashi of the Qavam-ul-Mulk. The
authorities professed to be equally intrigued by the disappearance which
they attribute to murder or suicide.
The Bagh-i-Farbudieh, one of the town properties of the ex-Munshi-
Bashi, was occupied as offices of the Governorate-General in May.
Preventive Service.—The Customs preventive service at Shiraz was
disbanded and the branch closed down early in the year.
The last head of this service at Shiraz was found to have been receiving
bribes from sugar smugglers. He absconded but was arrested and sent
to the capital.
Trade.—The import trade of Shiraz is still suffering from the restric­
tions governing imports.
Representatives of local merchants petitioned the Minister of Finance
on his first visit to Shiraz for a relaxation of the restrictions and for
facilities to carry on their business. The only result was the promise of
financial assistance for the formation of trading companies in which
government took the lion’s share. Merchants were given the choice of
investing their trading capital in these concerns, the majority having no
voice in the operations. The trader has realised that there is no scope for
private commercial initiative and that the prices of imported goods and of
focal produce are rising for the benefit of government.
These trading companies, in which government holds the principal
capital, were formed early in the yea^ and are:—
(a) The Shirkat-i-Tijareti founded for the purpose of “assisting the
economic conditions in Fars and in the ports of the Persian
Gulf” and to “secure better markets for the products of the
country”.
This concern undertook general export business and took over the
import trade of the province (with the exception of the goods
already “monopolised” to Government or other concerns in the
capital) and is in a position to obtain preferential treatment
in applications for import licences. The capital was to
consist of Rials 8,000,000 (£107,000) of which government,
through the Agricultural Bank, undertook to provide Rials
5,600,000 (£74,500) leaving Rials 2,400,000 (£32.500) to be
raised by the trade and by public subscription. The shares
will be of Rials 100 (£1-5-0) each.