Page 688 - PERSIAN 8 1931_1940_Neat

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Although the Iranian Chief Scout visited Kerman there was little Scout ac­
tivity during the year. With the closing of the C. M. S. girls’ school the Girl Guide
movement has practically ceased to exist.
The restriction on children under 16 attending the cinema was not strictly
enforced.
No new schools were opened during the year.
Municipality.—There was little advance in municipal administration. No
progress was made with the scheme to provide a better drinking water supply for
the town. A now and very young Rais-i-Shahrdari arrived in August but he is not
popular, mainly on account of his youth.
Rials 40,000 were raised locally for the construction of a poor-house in
Kerman. Able-bodied beggars were rounded up by the municipality and provided
with stocks of cigarettes and matches to sell on commission.
Health.—Dr. Irani (M.B., B.S., Bombay) was succeeded in March as Director of
Health by Dr. Muhammad Daftari (Tehran Medical College)—a nephew of the
G. 0. C., Kerman.
Dr. Vakili (educated in Germany) continued as municipal medical officer
throughout the year. One of his tasks is a monthly inspection of barbers, bakers,
fruit-sellers and prostitutes for venereal diseases. It is said that a “ clean ” certi­
ficate is granted on suitable payment.
The general health of the town was good ; there was a mild outbreak of small­
pox early in the year and some cases of dyphtheria in the late summer. Vacci­
nation and inoculation were provided free by the health department.
Opium smoking is reported to be on the increase owing to the increased cost of
local-made spirit (araq).
Agriculture.—Scarcity of rain resulted in small and poor quality grain crops in
1940. No rain of measurable quantity fell in Kerman from January to the end of
the year and the prospects for the Spring (1941) crops is not good. The early
warmth of February brought on fruit trees too quickly with the result that all blo-
80in was destroyed by a frost in late March. The pistachio crop was also partially
affected but grapes were plentiful.
The wheat shortage which began to appear in the autumn gave rise to much
anxiety. There was no real shortage in this area until stocks from here were sent
to other centres where the bread shortage was acute. It is estimated that 225,000
maunds (6} lbs.) of wheat were sent from Kerman to Mekran, Isfahan and Tehran
during the year. Denuded of its supplies, Kerman had to meet its own bread short­
age in December by appropriating wheat in the Sirjan, Bam and Baft areas and by
mixing barley with wheat. Excessive earlier sales to Russia combined with mal­
adjustment of remaining stocks was the cause of the people’s sufferings in this
respect.
60,000 maunds of expensive rice and 8,000 maunds of inferior quality were
imported into Kerman for local consumption from the Mazandcran estates of the
Shah. Rice to meet the local demand was formerly grown in this area, its
cultivation is now prohibited.
Restricted poppy cultivation is again permitted in the Kerman district. 4,200
maunds of opium were delivered to the Government ambars during 1940 but some
13,000 maunds of “smuggled ” opium were disposed of in addition. The Gov­
ernment purchase opium at rials 300 per maund and retail it at rials 1,200 while
smuggled opium is retailed at Hals 900. Thus the advantage of smuggled opium
to both seller and buyer is well-worth the risk.
Rials 80,000 were advanced to cultivators for cotton growing but red-worm
again appeared in the crop, most of which was burnt.
A scheme originally propounded by H. E. Aqai Ali Solicli, Minister of
Interior, when Ustandar of Kerman, to bring water to Kerman from the Chari river
about 20 miles S.-E. of Kerman at a cost of rials 3,000,000 (£16,500), was submitted
to Teliran. But as there was neither Ustandar nor Farmandar to back the scheme
at the time of submission it has apparently been shelved.