Page 202 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920

60 PERSIAN GULP ADM IXI STRATTON REPORT
the ordinary typo of factory, -wore in most respects impracticable. Th
included the appointment of an inspector who should have the uncom
right of entering overy factory and imposing penalties for the breach 0f ^
now regulations. 1 the
The whole weaving community at once roso in arms against these rpo.
tions. The factory-owners and weavers, on the grounds of the impossibij t
rebuilding their houses, and the European carpet buyers, on the grounds* ft.0*
their private designs would be placed at the mercy of the inspector, and th
in the closing of many factories, which was bound to take place, their cont
and advances would go to the winds. Both parties also pointed out that^t)!8
inspector, who had already paid for his appointment, would only use his auth
rity to enrich himself by fines, or bribes for remitting fines. Several bund °i
master weavers from the town and villages spent some days in bast at
Majesty’s Consulate. 13
His Majesty’s Consul took up the ground that, though reforms were undeni
ably desirable, the regulations were impracticable and the means proposed for
enforcing them objectionable ; and at liis suggestion the Muwaffaq-ud-Dowlch
who was only too dad to get out of the mess lie found himself in, issued a
notice that tne regulations were withdrawn and would only be reintroduced
after a discussion between the Government authorities and all parties inter­
ested.
Nothing more was heard of the matter. There is no doubt that the
industry as carried on is responsible for a great deal of human misery, in de­
forming and arresting the development of the children, especially the girls em-
ployed in it, but official reforms in present day Persia can only be ineffective
for their professed objects and a source of a hundred new abuses. A good deal
is being quietly done by European merchants who use their influence to en­
courage the improvement of existing factories and tho building of more sanitary
new ones, while the Mission Hospital does what it can to relieve the misery
which is caused by deformity and incomplete development. Many cripples
with distorted misgrown legs obtain some relief and the lives, at least of many
young would-be mothers, are saved, only, however, as a rule to be jeopardised
again.
After this the only serious affair iu the town was the agitation, in October,
against tho Reveuue department already mentioned, which was the work of the
Amir-i-Mufakham and a few mischief-makers, including, it is believed, Jallal
ud-Din (Mulla), Mirza Yahya, and the Nusrat-us-Sultanu
The later agitation against the appointment of the Sirdar Muhtasham was
conducted on orderly lines, and it is not likely to become acute till there is some
greater certainty of his ever coming to Kerman.
Throughout the year His Majesty’s Consulate was a place of general appeal
to all aggrieved or malcontent people.
In the early part of the year many Persians with prospective grievances
addressed His Majesty’s Consul with the hope of obtaining promises of protec­
tion ; some of them produced testimonials to their services in the public interest
during 1912, granted by the Consulate. No promises or encouragement of any
description was given to such applicants and they soon desisted from their
efforts.
The introduction of European control over the Revenue Department,
_ _ _ the establishment of the gendarmer
e evtnue cp» cd . Were the two events of the year which
likely to produce lasting results, for good or evil, in modifying the future coure
of affairs in the province. The balance of probability is in favour of t
proving beneficial.
In tho problem of the reorganisation of.finance in the province there ,
at the moment two dominating elements, firstly, the personality of Mr. Bcc » j
and secondly, the nature of tho operation of pouring the new wine of etu j
control and protection of the revenues into the old bottles of the tramt^ ^
system of Government by a supreme Govornor-Gonoral, the main objec