Page 281 - 5 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE I_Neat

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Tlioiich the equivalents of rates of hire from Buahire • tragarnnth, the purchase ami sorting of which has
i,Shiraz ruled low in 1910-11 (Kran exchange also ' become systematised to a certain extent in Shiraz,
j ,pi» |ii_'::), yet equivalents of a virago rates, 'luring i Almond«, rai-ins and yiltams, linseed, sesame and
' r„t v* -rs when there has been a tlemaml f- r tranv Persian tomb iku should all repay firm* undertaking
r
rt. usut Hy rule between £12 and £13. Ti. is there purch.-es on a large >fab* from the districts where
little dideroneo between the co>t. of transporting each is cultivated. All schemes for mechanical trails*
„*|s from Hushirc to Shiraz and from Heslit (on the port and for the introlurtion of enterprises requiring
Jjqii.m) to Tehran. machinery can only he developed by European
. further. I he equivalent rule of trun.pnrt lure from n"'‘ an,! un,?",",t? V‘3t ‘V
.,■„*(« I.p..h.m reache.I aa high a, £11 10... .lurins £c™:1 »»»'■'•"«'« ®rc not heller «l..po«d toward"
rear. Hut tr.m.m.rt from Tehran to Ispahan European sel.mnea for , 1evelop.no the re-oureea of the
been nearly £3 per ton cheaper than from Shiraz . ««|,,r£. Even now there are ai.cna of a dawning
* • . afU 1 demand for simple machinery, agricultural instru-
J' **' : meats, a sea-water condenser, a flour-mill, etc.
I jt would therefore appear that for a con-ilerablc '] Per-ians will invest money in projects, hut only
■. g nf I'JlO-11 it was cheaper to transport mcr- after they have seen them suitably organised and
J'.utilise from the Caspian to Ispahan, than from the managed with a capital outlay by Europeans.
• rdaii Gulf fi'i Bu>hirc to Ispahan. European firms, on the other ban 1, in making ex­
i periments in Persia must always be prepared for a
Economic Development. dosm!.!* loss i!i the initial <tag«s. The amount
spoilt in mule-transport from Bushiro to Shiraz alone
• Tliere are still r.o signs of the economical devclop-
* - ut of the southern provinces of Persia, and the has been calculated during the past three years to
••ruvement of methods of transport by mechanical ( have teen £$0,0'W) to £IOhOOO at existing rates of
■ ins, f.'j., railways, has become a real necessity, both exchange, and before the ri-e of late year-*, in the rates
-. increase commerce, exports in particular, and to of hire, the amount spent could hardlv have been
- note greater security in the provinces. less than £I<V>X) to £.>»,(tfO.
Tlie was.ts of the population arc Minnie, andare not AH ;!':VeloP: :o.nt ?f thc ,:,^[nal trade an«I of ira-
. !v to chingc forgeneration or more, so that there VT"*1 coinsnunicat.oi s arc, however, largely con-
side lik Iihorv.1 of a 1 ,rg- extension of the import P°? mts. .None of tha present
.*- !c out-Me the necessaries of life and 1:.. -.hold °mlc!-\ '*f trad-^aloug n.c P-rnan shore of the Gulf
:_!criaU: but with an accelerated and cheap means Prc in th-ir pre-ent condition, and Bush-
r transport from the coast into the numerous villages »rc particularly-wita an outer anchorage distant 7
Kars, the export trade might be increased most n",w* “r‘d a" distant 3 miles from the
•nensivcly. It is on the export of agricultural snore—needs tr.c dr. .'ring of a harbour and a proper
luce also that traders in the southern provinces • entrance closer in shore.
.' ild rely for a recovery from the evil times into . Telegraphic communications between the Persian
■•.'ch foreign trade has fallen; by increasing the ports o? the Gulf and the mouth of the Tigris are also
. .ying power of the tribal people and cultivators, ; badly needed.
. .realer demand fur imports is sure to result. The { ■
idnl belt, which is an vt long from lo-GO miles in i Local msiBinTrES.
i. ‘>UMs whtmwr.'tffi'cicnliy fertile, jrivenover to ! side bjsilIo ,vitll the Deed of, and openin'- for. the
i:.t cultivator of gram, but the vapnes; of the rain- ! expenditure of cspit,, to piIt tllc Jumcrec of the
- .ire tlu feet or fove.-wnj the posuihility of export ; „ a v/il!jr lL;?, tbcie exist a number of elar-
A,crf * ,hcv rnountams, however, a har- ; abnsos (0 wllich t!lc merchant is of tin .
ucanmir.ost always be nlied upon,and yet tuough : rictira> 3nl, wMth arc ia neCd of urgent reforms, not
-r araoun. produced at promt » so far above tlie E0 much bv the mcro voting of laws in the capital,
,.-a!s of lb, cultivator* that a considerable amount . but rcfor:ns enforced Iceallv" Reforms thus needed
Squally set fire to, high rates and dearth of animal j are for instance
; -nsport make it impossible to get a pound of this j
j- the co.v5t for export- Besides grain, there arc (i) Bankruptcy proccetlings to be strictly en­
; --.tain berries aud wild nuts which would be of in- quired into by the local authorities and all
~-*t for vegetable oils, and other products such as attempted concealment of funds or the non-
.yg'tablc rilk awaiting the advent of European possession of proper accounts punished
• 'discovery,” for Persian traders are both unaware with a term of imprisonment. (Imprison­
1 possible commercial uses to which produce may be ment now is a farce).
•gs and further arc never willing to try experiments. (ii) No transfer of property to be admitted u
1 fortunately, however, little pioneer work or special- legal, if made after a certain period previous
■sasi°n has been done so far by European firms to prosecution for debt, and failure to meet
-tded in the country. The only exception is gam creditors.
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