Page 277 - 5 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE I_Neat

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Other articles which cill for more liberal tarifica- export did not attain the proportions expected the
' demand for money ceased, and rates for Bills on
lion *rc
Shiraz fell till they reached 2"> days’ late at par in
Turmeric nn<1 other spices, January and continued thus till the middle of March.
(hAiVi
ni„l the export «.f ToImuo (tnmL.kl.'ig
Cukdit System.
flio incidence of the prcscut rate of duty is at pre- j
fnt on Coming after 190S and 1909, two years when the
J
(CalcuttaJ . 92% c«f reform, if *3 4 annas per lb. j credit of many in Bu.-hirc was severely shaken the
cno/ a (j continuance of insecurity and consequent bad market*
W
M% to ir; r,l - t,<*. ' " d,',ri,,v 1910 completed llm insolvency of most second-
.ov
Turmeric . o«/0 to. „ „ „ class, and many petty traders, liter found thcra-
pdves unable to meet demands of firms for payment
plirk IVpjvr (and 18^ of goods advanced on credit, of winch they had been
other ■juccaV dispocing at losses for some time past. Their original
InJ'fr'O . 11% to 21% .. l capital was small or non-existent, and whatever real
lUj ou the export of touilxtku (.Vi'ccti'iiM Ptr*ici) 8%. I property they possessed—real property in Persia is
\$ an instance of the benefit LI effect of the always an unsatisfactory form of security and rarely
rju- tionof excc^-ivcduty, tl.e expert of wheat may ' negotiable for foreign firms—has been generally tied
instanced. From 1903 till Jure 1910 the duty •_ i:P *n mortgages,
writfd between 1G£ to 121 p*-r cent of prices >vl caloicm There were 5 impe l tant bankruptcies during the
-rates wliich rendered the export prohibitive even in year, involving British firms in losses exceeding
jvxd seasons. In June 1910, in cor. side ration of the 1-1,000.
fj«cptional harvest, the duty was reduce! by one •1
.
'•'Jf bv an order of the Customs Administration. Tlic elimination of these middlemen lias had two
.
The result has not onlv been verv s^isfaciorv for the ros,:lr<:—Brtiish importers in Buslurc and salesmen
fsport <luring the season 1010-1!, chough a dutv of avoiding the indent system have begun to deal direct
<j0i» p-r cent. aJ rnloer.n still vent pares, very'un- vit5> purchasers in the interior, and with the local
hvourablv w ith other gr..in expiring cour.::ies but bnza..rs; and secondly, their terms are much mere on
•l? Cu.-toms have found their r-.vcmie zr.creiscd a e.-L b.«-is than fcrm. rly. Though a gradual c.-ange
.-Mertblv, owing to the redueti* n of <mugeling. from a <r:*'l:t tn a wovlJ probably mvolve
:JC,il..r liberal measures are needed ia respect to the a (-c reuse in the quantity of piece-goods annually
«bcr products mentioned above. , j»«P' rtcil, the position of foreign Srius should benefit
: in the end.
!'
P 'I Further bankruptcies are, however, impending for
' 1911-12, though there has been a distinct revival of
The average monthly ratc3 for Bank drafts at de- j| business with Shiraz,
sand were:—
!
London. Cambay. jj Weather : Rainfall.
1310 March . 55 376 ' The disquieting features of import trade during
April 54-95 3C8 3 :
May 54-88 3CC-4 1910-11 were slightly relieved by the excellent harvest
•Tune 5-4-5 302-03 ! of the spring of 1910, the abnormally heavy rains of
July 53-76 357-5 the winter of 1910-11, and the prospects of a very fine
August . 53- 13 355-9 '! hanest of cereals along the coast-bc!t for 1911. Now
September 54 5 302-9 that the export of opium has been so much curtailed
October 54- 3 301-9 by restrictions in China, it has become all the more
November 513 301-4 necessary for importing firms and Persian merchants
December 55- 47 372- 2 to turn their attention to experts, and to the shipment
1511 January 5C-3 373- 5 of agricultural produce of pars, which is capable of
February 56-2 377-4 considerable development. In this way increase of
sales of imported goods can most profitably be foster­
March . 56-16 37G-8
ed. Unfortunately foreign firms are umvilling, as a
Titus the average for the year was approximately rule, to undertake the necessary “spade-work”
51*80 Kruns per £1 sterling, and 367-75 Krans per 1(X) though just as guin tragacanth was “discovered”
rupees. As is often the case in seasons when an ex­ as an export some years ago, so there arc undoubtedly
port of wheat is practicable, money was at one time otter products which would command a ready sale in
daring the year extremely tight, so much so that the Europe. The export of grain is however unreliable foe
fate of discount for Bills on Shiraz at 25 days after there is practically no irrigation in the province, and
date rose to 5 per cent in August- As however the . the yield is dependent on the rainfall
1215 P. D.
I