Page 279 - 6 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE 2_Neat

TRADE REPORT

FOR THE
PERSIAN FISCAL YEAR CORRESPONDING

With period 21st March 1922 to 20th March 1923.

CONDITIONS AFFECTING TRADE (PERSIA GENERALLY).
Ptr.-ia is s'.iU suffering from the effects of the war. Bushirc particularly.
7o*irJs the end of the war, several British forces The trade of Bushire is paralysed generally on
<;c5pied portions of Persia and in doing so spent account of the reasons given above, for the business
croraous sums in buying Krans. This expenditure
-erj naturally raised the price of the Kran ar.d this of Bushirc in the past has been essentially to ac t as
coupled with the unnatural wealth produced an entrepbt for the trade of Shiraz and the North.
to equalise the Persian trade balance. The A fair volume of trade is however done from
p.r.iia merchant, a great but unsound gambler, Bushire with various ports in the Gulf. From
/ilittd this occasion to buy goods in England and Bushire the merchandise was borne by sea to small
*.»*xhere with the result that the imports for 1920 ports on the Persian littoral whence it was distributed
r •* to great heights. He, however, neglected to irJand. These sea communications are the best that
’.irhis sterling at the same time as he placed his exist in Persia and yet their efficiency Las during tLe
!er {the Kran then being in the neighbourhood of past year been seriously affected by tbe action cf the
L' Krans=£l). He thought that the exchange was Government. Alarmed at the extent to which silver
i-mineotlv fixed at that figure, despite the rc- Krans (whose intrinsic value was higher than their
i*i:«:*d advice of all British traders. This was bis exchange value) were being smuggled out of Persia,
7.:i/ing. Heedless of the withdrawal of the British the Government first prohibited the export of all
f.rcesand the consequent decline of the exchange be silver (including rupees which were current in the
jraastinated until the exchange fell suddenly to Gulf) and then towards the close of the year laid a
L-ir par. Still the merchandise contracted for fiat embargo on the transport of silver Iran one
rr.ir.ucd to arrive at the Porta and the Persian Persian port to another (cabotage). The conse­
r:»r.hants were compelled to face the prospect of quences of this were soon felt. Merchants in the
R012 up their goods at a loss from 60—70 per cent. outlying districts who were in the habit of paying
. hi was more than they could bear. Many attempt- for their purchases in silver were prevented from so
to repudiate their contracts. Others went into doing; consequently, as there was nothing to export
i.,aidation dragging with them still others. in return, business was suspended. Fortunately, thia
^ From this state Persia has not yet recovered. measure has now been repealed on the urgent repre­
•’ attempt is made to restore trade to an equilibrium sentations of all classes of traders.
. ^ export of goods. Much might have been Communications with Shiraz and the North also
cad. 0{ tbe erport of grain, even allowing for the leave much to be desired. The read built by the
-d state of interior communication but the Persian B-usbire Force in 1918 and kept up by the South
■» vfraxncnt steadfastly refused to allow the export, Persia Rifles has been suffered to get out of repair.
*■ from the Gulf provinces. If the Persian Indeed, it is now so bad that no merchandise is now
^eminent took a progressive view of the matter taken on any wheeled vehicle despite the Persian
‘•“l spent money on communications^ it would be Government’s claim that part of it is erasable.
r ~ 'Jble to increase enormously the export of cereals Nor does this exhaust tbe disabilities under which
' 1 to cheapen the cost to themselves of imported the road is suffering. On the disbandment of the -
7^s it is, last year wheat was allowed to rot South Persia Rifles, the local potentates all along the
i . jJraz miles from the coast for the lack of a road reverted to the time-honoured Persian system
•rVti An,f tjje Bame tjme jt C0Jjt £i l-O-O
of levying tolls and other exactions from muleteer*.
one ton of imported goods by mule to It became so bad tbat when the Minister of War
came to Buahire in ord^v to meet His Imperial’