Page 573 - PERSIAN 8 1931_1940_Neat

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Consular Statistics—
British subjects rogistored Nil.
Passports issuod . 9
Passport renowals granted 6
Visas granted 219
Documents Iogolisod or attested 13
Foes levied .... £148/19/0
II. BRITISH INTERESTS.
Trade.—Tho restrictions on trade with the United Kingdom and India as
recorded under Kerman, apply equally to Bandar Abbas.
Anglo-Iranian Oil Co.—A full-time agent is maintained at this port. Sup­
plies for south-east Iran are now discharged at Bandar Abbas and imports
have increased accordingly. The local price of petrol was lowered from rials
27 • 15 to rials 24 • 85 per 4 gallon tin.
During the year about 560 labourers were recruited in this district for work
in Abadan and tho Fields, but most of them were sent back because they ap­
proached the Iranian Naval authorities instead of the Company with a com­
plaint about their pay.
A seismic party of 19 geophysicists, surveyors and observers arrived from
Abadan in December to survey an area immediately to the west of Bandar
Abbas. Formations suggest a possible oil pocket at this site and extensive
tests will be carried out during January. The party will then proceed to
Qishm Island.
Messrs. Gray, Mackenzie & Co., Ltd.—This firm retained a representative
at this port mainly for their British India Steam Navigation Company agency
business.
Frank Strick Lines Ltd.—The company, through their local agent, Messrs.
Dorabjee & Sons, entered into a new contract with the Iranian Government
for the purchase of red o<ido from Hormuz Island for a period of 3 years.
During 1938 8,518 tons of red oxide were shipped by this company.
III. FOREIGN INTERESTS.
Representation.—There are no other foreign representatives at this port.
Trade.—The principal imports via. Bandar Abbas were sugar (Russia,
Belgium and Holland), pieco goods (Japan), ironware, girders etc. (Germany
and Belgium), chemicals (Germany) and glassware (Japan).
Exports included cotton (Russia and Germany), wool (Germany and
Holland), goat hair and dried fruits (Germany), carpets and pistachio nuts
(U. S. A.).
IV. LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
Governor.—Aqai Ismail Bahadur vacated the appointment on the 9th
April on transfer to Bam. The new Governor, Aqai Muhammad Zandniapur,
arrived on the 27th December. There were two acting appointments in the
interim.
Customs and Finance*—Azizullah Mina was the Director of Customs and
Finance throughout the year. Central Government inspectors visited Bandar
Abbas and the subordinate posts of Jask and Charbar in March.
In May an insurance premium of one rial per 1,000 ad valorem was
imposed on all goods passing through the customs house.
Bank-i-Milli.—Abul Qasim Saba’ai succeeded Fatahullah Pirmuradi in
May as manager of the local branch. In February orders were received from
Tehran to withhold 1,000 rial notes from circulation owing .to the presence of
a number of counterfeit notes believed to have been brought into Iran from
India.
A sub-branch of the Bank was opened in Minab in July.
Justice.—No important caso involving British subjects came before the
local courts during 1938.
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