Page 106 - 5 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE I_Neat

<5 UUSHIRE.
impression that even better rates for the purchase of bills of exchange
could be obtained by awaiting a further fall of exchange, and this
dilatoriness gave the importing agencies much trouble in collecting
payments for goods which had been supplied on credit. By the
middle of September the growing scarcity of coin had become
acute over nearly all the coast region, and a deadlock occurred
worse than had been experienced for years. The fall in exchange,
though making it possible with the rise of price in Europe ior firms
in the Persian Gulf to take advantage of the demand for wheat
in London, also meant that nearly all available kran coin in Busliire
either had to be sent out to the districts to pay for crops or else
was bought by the peasantry in exchange for rupees, which they
were receiving largely from the Arab coast in payment for grain.
Money did not become more plentiful till November, 1007.
Wien all these influences are taken into account together with
the shrinkage of the export trade, due to non-cultivation of the
crops, the disturbed condition of the country and the failure of
almonds, gum insoluble and skins to find a market in Europe and
India, the commercial prosperity of this district of Southern Persia
seems to have suffered a decided set-back in 1907-08, in spite of
the statistical increase in imports.
Comparison of volume o] trade.—The imports to Bushire during
the year totalled 1,052,043/. as against S63,S42/. in 1906-07,and
-the exports 497,990/. as against 598,421/. in 1906-07, making the
total volume of trade 1,550,033/. as against 1,462,263/., an increase
of 87,770/. The following^table shows the course of trade during
the past 11 years :—
Imports. Exports.
£ £
1897 1,145,329 392,532
1898 843,462 426,721
1899 916,528 529,348
1900 1,323,063 710,338
1901 1,631,478 573,649
1902 1,179,996 348,202
1903 870,803 366,666
1904 SS9,825 454,981
1905 761,932 469,940
1906- 07 . 863,842 598,421
1907- 08 . 1,052,043 497,990
Note.—The imports for 1900-02 were swollen by 647,718mostly bar
silver for coinage in Teheran, which did not, properly speaking, affect the
normal trade of Southern Persia.

The figures for 1907-08 therefore show an advance of 9,460/.
in the imports and 10,900/. in the exports on the general average for
the previous 10 years, but an advance of 205,440/. and 25,490/.
respectively on the average of the years succeeding the new customs
tariff and rcglemcnt of 1902. Under the present stationary con­
dition of industrial and commercial enterprise in this part of Persia
“the yearly consumption of imported goods in the area supplied by
Bushire certainly does not now reach 1,000,000/., but, on the other