Page 110 - 5 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE I_Neat

10 BUSUIRK.

or “ single journey ” delivery in Shiraz being contracted to take
place in 14 days ; 44 dukesh ” or 44 double journey,” t.e., when
muleteers leave part of their goods half way and return to fetch
the remainder, and which commands cheaper rates, ccnnot bo
safely resorted to in the present state of unrest along the route.
Starting at 100 krans (3l. 2s. 9d.) in March, 1907, they came down
gradually to 120, 110 and 90 krans (27. 7s., 21. 3s., If. 15s. 3d.)
in August, September and October owing to the congestion of
merchandise in the customs-house, and inability of merchants to
send it forward. Rates rose rgain to M0 and 150 krans (27.15s. and
21. 18s. \0d.) in February and March, 1903. In the first few months-
of 1903 a great deficiency of transport was experienced, and more­
over, owing to dissension over the two alternative routes it was
difficult to get goods away at all. With the cost of livirg, scarcity
of mules and fodder, and the heavy tolls that are extorted by so-
called road guards along the route, rates of transport have risen
much above the average 80 or 90 krans of 1901-05, while the delay
in getting goods up to Shiraz is more pronounced than formerly.
The need of an organised system of quick transport by road con­
tinues to be severely felt, the burthen laid on the trade from the
south by the unwarrantably high rates of transport resulting from
the unrest prevalent in the province, must necessarily restrict the
area of trade operations from the Gulf.
Pub!id licallh.—The serious epidemic of plague which prevailed
at Bahrain from April to July was necessarily a menace to the
Persian coast, but though several deaths occurred arr.org imported
cases on the quarantine island at Bushire, vigorous measures were
taken to keep out infection and fortunately there was no spread
of the disease. In fact, the healtliiness of the inhabitants is well
known, and especially during the hot summer months.
Import trade.—Of an increased import trade of 1,052,0437.
the United Kingdom and India enjoyed a proportion, according to
the Persian Customs Administration’s statistics, of 54 ar.d 34 per
cent, respectively as against 39 and 31 per cent, in 1906-07 ; in­
creases principally due to the heavy import of cotton goods from
the United Kingdom and of tea and specie from India. The
decline in the import of Marseilles sugar through this port account*
for the decrease in the percentage of France from 12 to 3 per cent.
The increase in imports from Turkey was the result of large quanti­
ties of coin being returned from Baghdad; imports from Germany
have again diminished, by 5,724f., in 1907-08.
Colton goods.—The present glutted condition of the market, to
which allusion has been made above, is at once apparent from a
comparison of the figures for the last five years :—