Page 224 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920

83 FERSIAN GTJLF ADMINISTRATION REF0RT

CHAPTER VI.
ADMINISTRATION RETORT FOR THE ARABISTAN consular
FOR THE YEAR 1913.

Major L. B. H. Haworth, I.A., held charge of the office of Consul throiH
out the year, Captain A. J. H. Grey fiJ*
Hia Majoity's Conralato.
Vice-Consul at Aliwaz. ,nS
Ijlal-cs-Sultanch, who took over the appointment of Governor of Arabisfe*
during tho previous year, continued a
Local officials.
feehle rule. Ho is a pleasant man but
weak, and typicallv Persian in his methods. He owed his continuance to the
joint support of the Shaikh of Moharamerah and the Bakhtiari Ilkhani
Bcram-uI-Mulk retained his post as Karguzar, which position is rather a
sinecure in Mobammerah.
The other various Persian appointments such as Rais-i-Zakhireh, Hais-i-
Aalieh, tho Master of Ordnance and the Chief Magistrate were vacant during
the year.
Shaikh Chasib, Nusrat-ul-Mulk, the Shaikh’s eldest son, was Governor
at Ahwaz and gave general dissatisfaction.
He is hopelessly extravagant, always in difficulties for money and conse­
quently not too particular how he comes by it.
Under an arrangement made with the Governor by the Shaikh and
Sirdar-i-Jang, tho Bakhtiari Ilkhani, the Deputy Governorship of Dizful was
made a joint concern in charge of Imad-ed-Duftar, the Shaikh’s representative,
and Kutb-es Saadat, the Bakhtiari Hkhani’s. The arrangement worked fairly
satisfactorily.
In August, Monsieur Fourman, the Director of Customs, was transferred
to Bandar Abbas, being relieved by
Customs. Monsieur Bouckaert, the Director from
Ahwaz.
Monsieur van den Abeele, a new arrival, relieved Monsieur Bouckaert
at Ahwaz.
Monsieur Bouckaert has continued the work of his predecessor in improv­
ing the Customs arrangements. He has opened regular registers in order to
supply the information demanded by this Consulate and attempts to control his
staff. The task is a difficult one since much of the work is necessarily in the
hands of Persians and the temptations to fraud in Mohammerah are great,
especially in the grain season.
This last indeed is the chief problem since a tradition of dishonesty seems
to hare been set up among the employes of the Department in Mohammerah.
The point of interest to British firms is to put a stop to the wholesale smuggling
in the grain trade; in this smuggling the Germans are among the chief offenders
causing a severe handicap to the British purchasers who do not descend to sue
measures.
The Customs officials receive a proportion of the proceeds and thus the
firms engaged in this work are enabled to save themselves as much as 2o pe
cent, of the duties and are in a position to offer proportionately higher prl
for wheat and barley. .
His Majesty’s Consul, after consultation with tho British Chamber o
Commerce, has demanded that the following two additional chocks be adde 3
the Customs.
1. That all ships shall deposit copies of their manifests at the Ousi
House for exports as well as imports.
rival w*
3. That all Captains shall testify to the draft of their ship on ar
on departure.