Page 77 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920

FOR THE YEAR 10]*. 67
In October 1911 the Postmaster asked His Majesty’s Consul to recommend
an increase in his staff. This request was readily agreed to since the great
bulk of the work comes on the two days between the arrival of the mail and
its departure. Accordingly, in July, an Assistant was sanctioned. The pay
was however too small to obtain anyone locally in a place where clerical
labour is so much in demand, and it is hoped that an assistant will be des-
tebed from India.
The Persian Postal Department was taken over by the Belgian
Customs officials in June 1912. In
Poreian PobU.
the same month of the previous year
His Majesty’s Consul was approached by the Governor of the town at the
instance of the Shaikh with a view to the establishment of a Persian post,
office at Abadan.
The query was made on instructions from Tehran and a reply was given
that, should the Persian Government have any such desire, the correct course
vould be to approach the British Legation in Tehran.
The subject was not renewed and nothing further was heard of it till
November of this year, when it was announced that post offices would bo
instituted at Buzi, Masliur and Hindian, and it was rumoured that there were
similar intentions regarding Abadan.
Shahzadah Ahmed Mirza of the local Customs left Mohammerah in
November to open the three first named offices at places where post offices had
formerly existed but which had been closed as it had been found impossible to
make them pay.
On the evening of the 2-ith December a notice was sent to this Consulate,
by the Director of Customs in his Postal capacity, saying that a post office
would be opened at Abadan.
On receiving this notification His Majesty’s Consul wrote asking where the
port office was situated, and on being informed that it was in the office which
had been rented to the Customs Department, for Customs purposes, within
the limits of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company’s concession, wrote to the Director
of Customs caying that it could not be allowed without the permission of the
British Legation.
His Majesty’s Minister on being informed of the circumstances of the case
issued instructions to this Consulate to the effect that the objection which
had been made was to be maintained.
It is difficult to understand the conduct of the Belgian administration, in
the matter. It was evident that they expected that objections would he made
to the line of action which they were taking, indeed private information is
available confirming this fact. It would be difficult to imagine that it could
he otherwise since they were placing a Persian Government office on. ground
conceded to a British company, without asking the permission either of that
company or of the British Government.
That any objection made by the Oil Company could be upheld was equally
evident since, apart from political considerations, no company could permit
of the inconvenience which would be caused by their private land being turned
into a public thoroughfare: with the Oil Company this objection was all tbe
stronger owing to the danger which might result through tbe inflammable
nature of their products.
That some ulterior motive underlies these institutions is clear, if only from
the manner of their inception. The post office at Abadan may have been
intended to form a base of attack upon the British post office at Mohammerah,
it can hardly have been intended simply to annoy. At the close of the
year the matter was still under reference but has since been satisfactorily
settled by the local Director receiving orders to act in consultation with His
Majesty's Consul, and the post office has been suspended pending final orders
from Tehran to close it
The telegraph line, Mohammerah-Ahwai-Bushire, which forms the
connection with Tehran, has hardly
Tclographa.
worked dnring the year under report,
k2