Page 484 - 6 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE 2_Neat

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Tahi.k 111.
E\j tort ft,
:
j No. of Perrontn^p No. of JYroenlnj'o
SloamHliip linoH. ' I'lH’kuj'CH of lotul. Pucka^oH. of total.
;
1932-33 1933-34
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I
Bril mil India Steam Navi­
gation Co. 40,930 5 3*8 48,420 77-3
Kllorinan I 1,180 i 1 -9
St rick 31,030 40-7 ( I 3,900 0-4
Total PritiHh 71,900 ! 94 T> ! 03,090 85-0
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Hanna 2,083 3-5 5,794 9-2
Soviet Union 403 0-0
JapancHc 1,000 1-3 3,245 5-2
Silver Lino I
Belgian 128 0-1
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Total 7G.240 100-0 02,035 100-0
Suggestions for the Improvement of British Trade.—There is little
hope of reviving the demand for British goods unless manufacturers
can effect a substantial reduction in sale prices. The vast majority
of the inhabitants of the Gulf live a hand to mouth existence and
generally prefer the cheap article to one which is more expensive,
even though the service given by the latter may be proportionately
greater.
The necessity of studying conditions on the spot cannot he too
heavily emphasised, in particular with regard to the Arab side of the
Gulf, where the needs of the inhabitants differ considerably from
those of Persia and ‘Iraq. Now that Imperial Airways run a
service which calls regularly at Bahrain, and at Gwadur in the
Sultanate of Muscat, and which makes frequent calls at Kuwait, it
should he possible for British manufacturers to send representatives
to visit these places and get in touch with reliable and energetic
agents who would be willing to undertake the marketing and sale
of their goods.
The need for advertisement and propaganda is as essential in the
Gulf as elsewhere. Many merchants are badly informed about
goods of foreign manufacture and if well supplied with illustrated
pamphlets will frequently be induced to place an order. Wrappers
and packing should be attractive and even dazzling and, where the
goods are intended for sale on the Arab side of the Gulf, the inscrip­
tions should as far as possible be in Arabic.
Goods manufactured in the United Kingdom should be clearly
marked as siich. There have been instances of foreign goods being
made to resemble so nearly British goods that it has been difficult
to distinguish between them and as the latter are generally respected
for tljeir quality, it is inqjortant that there should be no room for
confusion.

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