Page 414 - PERSIAN 8 1931_1940_Neat

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The measures taken by tbo Iranian authorities for the suppression of
the smuggling of contraband goods helped to discourage the smuggling of
sugar into Bushire town and certain parts of the district and perhaps in
Lingah town. The smuggling of contraband goods, such as imitation silk
picccgoods, haberdashery and, in some instances, rifles and ammunition’
was successfully carried out through the Iranian ports and the goods were
taken to towns and cities in the interior via Farrashband and Firuzabad
(78 and 105 miles respectively east of Bushire) and also through Lariston.
The smugglers’ caravans were protected by strong riflemen who in almost
all instances defeated the Amnieh (Road Guards) and inflicted losses on
them. By the end of the year the Amnieh had lost 20 men and they had,
in one instance only, succeeded in killing 9 of the smugglers* riflemen and'
wounding 2. In October it was decided, on account of their inefficiency and
corruption, to take the duty of suppressing smuggling from the Amnieh
authorities and to leave it in the hands of the Military authorities. The
total amount of contraband goods seized by the officials of the Customs
Preventive Department came to 1,438 packages of sugar, tea, tobacco,
matches and sundries, and 0 smugglers* dhows, 13 smugglers and Rials
14,800 in Iranian currency notes.
tftoads and Communications.
1. Bvshire-Shiraz Road.-rAt the instance of His Excellency Araanul-
lah Ardelan, the Governor of Bushire, this road was inspected by the
Assistant to the Minister of Roads and in November a contract was given to
the Deka Company to build the Bushire-Borazjan portion of it.
2. The installation of the wireless transmitting set which was brought
to Bushire in May, 1935, was completed by a French engineer in the employ
of the Iranian Government in June 1936 when an engineer of the Royal
•Dutch Air mail service (K. L. M.) found it to have been dangerously situ­
ated for aeroplanes landing at the airport. He made a protest and the
set. was. removed to a spot 1^ miles east of the aerodrome. In November 3
Iranian wireless officers arrived here and set zealously to work to carry out
the installation of. two wireless masts and complete the station—their aim
being to prove the futility of the Iranian Government’s employing foreign
engineers for the purpose. Another wireless set with an engineer was
6ent to Jask to complete a wireless station there.
3. On the 15th July Captain Doulatshahi, an Iranian Aviation Officer,
arrived here and commenced levelling the landing ground to make it suitable
for Iranian aeroplanes, which it was said, would carry mails between
Tehran-Isfahan-Shiraz-Bushire from the 21st March 1937. Iranian air
postage stamps were brought and sold at the Post Office. In August two
Iranian aeroplanes, each carrying an officer and a mechanic, arrived' here
on inspection duty and after seeing the landing ground went back to
Tehran,. About the same time the Post Office, Bushire, published a Notice
in the local weekly the "Khalij-i-Iran” intimating that an air mail service
was shortly to be inaugurated in Iran to carry mails, once a week between
Tehran-Isfahan-Shiraz-Bushire, and twice a week between Tehran-Hama-
dan-Kermanshah. The date of the inauguration of the service, which
was promised to be promulgated later on, remained unknown to the end of
the year.
Chamber of Commerce.—Having found his first suggestion for build­
ing ten motor dhows to run between the Iranian ports unacceptable to the
merchants. His Excellency the Governor, Bushire, moved a resolution in
the Chamber of Commerce, Bushire, to form a Steam. Navigation Company
here. At the first meeting the local merchants, offered' to invest Rials
1,550,000 (£15,500) in. this new Company. The activities of the Chamber
of Commerce were confined to the formation of this Company as also
another, namely a branch, of the Company for the sale of Motor Vehicles,
Tehran, at Bushire. None of these Companies, however, materialised by