Page 41 - 3 Persian Trade rep KUWAIT 1_Neat

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A slight increase is shewn under “ Paints and colours ” duo to tho richer
merchants wlio have lately taken to painting tho wood work in thoir houses.
“ ricco goods** show a largo increase of as much as Its. 1,90,170, hut tho
merchants who have imported so largely of Manchester goods arc, it is said,
regretting their venture and stocks aro lying unsold. Ncjd is so poor that
it will take nothing but “ American! ** cloth and little enough o£ that, Tho
Bedouins are of the same way of thinking.
" Pig load** shows a proportionately largo increase. It is said to bo duo
to increased enterprise among tho ltshorfolk who failed at the pearls and were
forced to abandon their usual lazy habits and take to fishing.
The very largo decrease under “ provisions other sorts’* is duo to poverty
of people. Last year’s imports were in tho nature of an experiment and
turned out unfavourably in the general poverty.
“ Rice” shows the large incrcaso of Rs. 2,530,470.
“ Rosebuds” have also declined as people have no money to pay for
luxuries.
“ Silk and silk goods ’* would appear to show a declino but reliable inform
mation shows that this is not the case and that large stocks havo been smuggled
in as passengers* luggage which do not appear in the returns.
e< Specie ” shows a large decrease of Rs. 2,56,390. Two reasons explain
this. The dollar has remained low and on the whole stable, allowing no room
for speculation, and the money for tho pearls remained in Bombay.
“ Spices” wero kept under “ Miscellaneous” last year and no cstimato
can be made of variation in imports under this item.
“ Sugar ’* shows a satisfactory incrcaso this year in spite of the general
poverty. It is driving out the “date juice” which need to bo an article of
general use. Little mocey has, however, been ruado in tho trade this year.
“ Tallow ” shows a large increase of 85 per cent. It is said that this illus­
trates the poverty of the people more than any item, of tho returns, as the
poorer population havo been driven to use it largely as food. Compare also
“ anchors.”
“Tea** shows a decrease of Rs. 3,038, trifling in appearance hut, it is
stated, deceptive. In the returns for 1907-0S, Java chests were wrongly
calculated at 110 lbs., whereas they weigh only 40 lbs, It is certain that, as a
matter of fact, there has been a largo increase in the import of tea though it
is difficult to estimate the exact proportion now.
u Gold and silver thread.” The returns have been separated this year
and an apparent decrease is shewn of R.3, 2,700. Competent opinion, however,
says that the remarks under “ Silk ** apply here and that large quantities have
been smuggled in as passengers’ luggage and even in cases of tea and that
imports should show an increase.
“ Tobacco ” shows a comparatively large increase. This is from India and
mostly used in adulterating the Turkish tobacco and shows the practice to be
on the increase.
The large decrease in “ Miscellaneous ” is partly due to a number of items
being included in the year’s return which were not shown separately last year.
To turn to imports by local sailing vessels (buggalows).
u Arras and ammunition/* Tho import of firearms by buggalow traffic
shows an increase of Rs. 1,30,893 over the previous year. Owing to greater
restrictions observed by the British India authorities practically all the trade
is now carried by tho country sailing boats.
u Male bamboos’* arc shewn this year as a new item and no previous re­
turns of this import are available for purposes of comparison.