Page 62 - 6 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE 2_Neat

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this njpon prefer tlio former road, as possessing (iVr. B. Owing to political disturbances, thr-
Letter s-uppljr of fodder, more conveniences and figures given regarding routes terminating at Ispa­
being shorter : donkeyraen prefer the FiruZabad han cover only live months in 1915-lC, and ten
road, because their habitat lies in the Firuzabad months in 1916-17: those for the Bushirc-Shiraz
District. Neither route can well be exclusively road five months in 1915-16 and eight months in
deemed the “ official M caravan rood. 1910-17. Forwarding by the Abwaz road was
exceptionally heavy during 191G-17, though no
Comparison of Import Traffic inland. figures were recorded.)
An approximate estimate of the tonnage of the
| 3014-1 ft 1MM« 1918-17
goods thus carried can be made by taking an
From Bait ire to Sbirme . , Mole* . 31,196 7.786 1,3*7 average mule-load as 320 lbs.: a donkey-load as
Donkcjv 31,441 11,793 36,874 200 lbs.: a camcl-load as 100 lbs.
Cazstli . _ 3.R8J The chief points to note abont the year 1916-17
C0.136 J9.548 31,1*96 are the general increase of traffic on all roads, and
more particularly on those from Bandar Abbas,
From Bybiire to nomjaa •ml Icr Load . 9,747 4,628 17.444
Sbiru rut bbieL though much of the donkey traffic by that route
is for intermediate places: secondly, the predo­
From lUadar AlbiT t o L*r and for Mnle* . 6
Donkcji. 6,424 14,341 23,766 minance of the donkey as the principal means
of transport.
Camcla . 2/40 6.7S6 10/13
7,871 Il.«7 I 40.058
Rates of Inland Transport Hire.
Froro AIru to Irpahat . , Mule* . 16,874
Pbecominal sums were paid in hire on all these
Donkeji. io,«e« (not recorded)
roads during 1916-17. Whereas the cost per
Camel* . Sbah man (13*09 lbs.) for transport from Ahwaz
37.34C to Ispahan had ranged from 4 to C Krans from
1911 to 1914*, the rate had ris*n to 24- Krans
.From 'STiirai dlrtctu-.m arrived ii- Mule* . 3.343 8.125 3.098
P*Ua. before .March 1917, which works out, at the rates
Donkeja. 1,608 4,020 of exchange ruling latterly, at £110 to £120 per
Camcla . 7,605 3/38 3.325 ton for a distance of 2C0 miles only. It has been
12,416 11,751 9,235 computed that the equivalent of £1,000,000 was
spent in transport hire on this Ahwaz-Ispahan
From Hanrudau arrived If pah an . Mule* 2.083 1,302 3,t46 road alone during this one year. Granted the
Dookex*. 1,331 CVt 2,270 scarcity of fodder and higher price for it, the
Camel* . 31,628 2/S9 3 890 exactions of local Khans on the roads, and also
the great demand for animals owing to the heavy
24.SU 4.383 9,668
stocks for forwarding, there can be no doubt that
From Bu>dai Abbaa JorKtimaa . Mule* . 611 116 the rates paid to transport owners were needlessly
Dockcj*. 8,760 24,355 43. oa extravagant, and that an accord between forward­
ing agents at Ahwaz woald have enal led them to
Camels . 3.346 1,381 3.6n
keep rates more level and much lower. The trou­
12,708 ! 27/83 48,173 ble throughout Persia is that merchants are so
From Bandar Abba* 5*rTaxd . Dor ker». 1,600 8^35 4,883 ill-disposed towards each other, and so incapable
Camel* . 2.728 12,316 22.638 of combination that they play into the hands of
4.228 17,451 T7,622~ the owners of transport animals, whose demand*
are always extortionate. The- interests of the
7ro» Taad arrived I^ahan . Mule* . 19 18 9(« consumer are entirely
consignee and the poorer
Docker*. 148 840 disreearded: and this accounts for much of the
Camel* . 1,206 238 1.678 penury and miserable condition of the poor ip
large inland towns, during this war more especi­
3.638 30« 3/14
ally.
From Bafear Abba* In . Mala* . no
As regards forwarding from Boshire to Shiraz
Donkrji. 8/68 njot
in 1916-17, the opening of the roads in August
Camels . 697 6 86$ 19,108 1916 found Bushire with great accumulation <*
6.809 ll-CoTf 42,744 stocks: and it was no longer possible to place hii®