Page 222 - 5 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE I_Neat

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tho event of finding no good market for nil of tho seldom ocenrH moreover that *11 member* of ,y
goods there, can forward tbo remainder to Ispahan conrt bane their icasoning on ilic tame Bet of f-gure **
or Yczd for disposal. each side produces its own statement ani arR_%:
As regards goxls brought down from Ispahan to from that independently. Frequently, inst, ,v,l Jj**
tho seaboard for expoit, loss of traffic rid Sh raz prm tieal matter* of-fa:t dixcuB*ion on debit j
has again boon tho gain of tho Lynch (Ahwax) c-vdit. profit and loss, errors of account and fo forth
road. the c««\vrt literally degenerates into a cor.test Qf
physical cndnrnnc*. Sooner or later tho foreiKll
This has especially been the case with Kuch 6tnplo plaiutifTs mnxt weary of tbo moltiplicat'ou
articles ns opium and tobacco, both of which aro interminable sitting**, and l>c glad to compromise
extensively grown in the district around Ispahan. their claim for half iho amonnt; or the president
According to figures furnished by the department, of this informal court will be transfened to a distant
Customs receipts for exports from the port of arena taking the archives with him: in tl c mean*
Bnshiro have declined daring the past year to tho tirao tbs assessors will have been changed and
extent of $84,035 Krans, when ns tie duties on Jarndyce v. Jarndyce continues its c nrse
bJ
Arahistan’s exjorts havo risen correspondingly beginning all over ng.dn. Judge and jury may
549, 772 Kraus. decide that £50 bo paid on account of a<ortain
In the summer of 1999, when the old Imperial ciaim, but if at the next sitting the debtor objects
road rid Kazernn was temporarily abandoned in that he did not approve of the decision, the effect of
favour of tbo mo c southerly one through Firuz.-vbad, He sentence is voided or its execution indefinitely
it was calculated that illegal exactions on various postponed. If after years of litigation judgment is
pretexts between Bushire and Kaztrun alone, a given iu favour of h foreigner, the a>scsso>s of the
distance of some 100 miles, had riscu during the losing side need only differ no to tho exa-. t wording
past two ycats from 3’7 to 15 Kran6 (d#.) per male. of the sentence, or some reverend gentleman who
At tho mommt when the mails and caravans has attended the last few sittings protect again*t
bcuran to tako the newly invented route by Jirreh, payment of the accumulated interest on the groar.d
improper charges for road-tolls, fodder, etc, had that usury is fo:bidden by the Reran; and ihe
risen to some 25 Krans (mary 10 sbill ngs) per defendant considers himself absolved from payment
mule for the whole journey to Shiraz. In the month of tbe order.
of January 19lO the past wax three times robbed, Volume'•/ Trade.—The total vaHe of impr-ri*
all letters of any valae being retained and iho into Hnshire is thix year 35.^54,559 Krats
romniuder with a few excej tio.is torn up and tlirowo (€7 17,001) as against 39,673,250 Kraus (.€793,105)
away. For the brief ivravindvr of the vear c m- for the preceding year, and of exports 29.0i4.liG0
parative security prevailed, though mails were often KranR (£*400,892) as against 2i.029.SC0 Kraus
delayed. (€432,590). In other worn*, ihcre has b^en a total
Outstanding commercial claim*.—When trade is decrease in trade of £108,07$. This makes a drop
brought to a standstill or temporarily removed to a of £432,050, or nearly 28 per cent, on 1907-190$,
distant sphere it would be some c nsol .tion if iJie which was a normally healthy trade year. The
breathing-space could be utilized for wipirg out old iraiu reasons for this slump have already beea
bad debts and recovering comp«-» cation for losses by enumerated above : another great cause is the failure
robbery. It is disappointing therefore to find that of crops last summer which left no money for
ont of various claims presented since the commence­ luxuries and little f« r trade of any kind.
ment of 1903 to the Government of Fars or the Exports to tho United Kingdom lo't xerj little
Central Imperial Government, and amounting in the during the past year, but imports fell from 48 to
aggregate to some £542 sterling, one only has 2$ per cent, of the total from all s- urccs. India’*
actaally been paid and this again not by tbe authori­ trade increased 14 per cent, for imports and 3 per
ties but by the chief of tbe tribe committing the cent. f<»r exports.
crime: and even fo the claim wax apparently ouly The fallowing table will show that this year’s
settled as a personal favour to the Consular Officer irnpoit figures are lower than any daring the past
who preferied it. As regards commercial claims of ten years, nnd that exports have only been excelled
Briti-h firms represintcd in Busliire ou Persian in paucity on two previous occasions, 1902 and
bankrupts or defaulter.*, tbe amount* still unsatisfied 1903
total some £ 19,250 and fresh instances are constantly Imports. Exporta.
being recorded of friendly business relations hitherto £ £
existing between the two classes of fiims being 1899 916,528 529AW
abruptly broken off after lasting without a bretik 1900 1,323,103 710,333
for as long a period as sevt-n years, simply b.*cause 1901 1,631,478 673,649
these relaiions had Ve* n on a credit bads whi«-h 1902 1,179,9.‘6 36«.«66
870,8(3
1103
roust inevitably break down when the above eausen 1904 889,825 454,931
made it impossible for the Persian meichant to meet 1905 761,932 469.990
his running obligations- The local court fir the 1906- 07 863,642 61*8,421
hearing of commercial claims is still a business of 1907- 08 1,052,013 497.990
making bricks without straw, there being uo l*08-« 9 793,465 432, >16
common law on which both parties may rely. It 1909-10 717,091 400,693