Page 329 - 5 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE I_Neat

9
u not stand it under existing conditions if Ihev bottom of the present unsatisfactory position of
((J ibrought from beyoud the first coasUl trade in Southern Persia; on the other hand in a
country like Persia, where Commercial cu'toms
the trial weight of all exports for the are so diverse in different districts, it will always
Tli"4 be difficult to pet the mercantile classes to recog­
under report was ‘27,320 tons, derived roughly
rfi? .1 nize a uniform law.
follow** «—
Ton*.
pr,i:i> :he coast plain 22,881 Import Thadk.
«li«‘iic « between Bushlro and
r SHinz . . . 1,686 Codon Gojdt.
Shiraz nnl Xortb of Shiraz 2,836
The trade bosses resulting from the insecurity
this last item was formed of :— prevalent along the Bushire-
Position of Man­ Shiraz-Ispaban (and Ahwaz-
Ton*.
chester. Ispahan) routes in the past
Cum Tragacanth . 787 j Finns oxyorting to three to four years have not
A'mo- d* . . • 656 ; Southern Persia. been equally distributed over
IUisin* 136 all classes of goods, nor, in consequence, amongst
A»>f<rti<U • • 30 ' all importers. The a..tual selling powers of de-
0 h*r drug* 2G6 • alers in many clashes of goods have been little
23 i impaired, although all a^ike in IJushirabnd Sliiraz
Spice*
Riw co:?on . • 185 have suffered from the deplorable financial effects
■ of the continued insecurity. It is by its indirect
Ca-prt* 232 i results that th's slate of affairs is to be deplored :
Opium • . • 106 j it has reduced nearly >.11 petty Persian merchants,
Raw tlin* ... 216 j many of them direct importcrs.of piece-goods, etc.,
Tobx'CJ ;Ta:nV»ku) . 237 j to bankruptcy or a st;.*.e bordering on it.
Vegetable sal s‘once* . 9
; This state of in*otr-»ncy has not only involved
It is iibuod tnl'r clear from (be* figures to how BritNb exporters of ptrco-gccds, etc., in losses, lot
mall an extent the :.gri< ultur.il resources of the has :;ed up the sales o: the .u*.t.r to a greater ex­
Iivrior are tapped by the present menus of tent titan at.tu.tl robberies on the caravan road.
ranqiort. P:e.*e-g-:oI>\ the largest item of export into
In previous r-*po-ts allii:;on h is b^en made to Smith and Cential Persia, have suffered worse,
C :un.ere5J disabi i- the urgent ne *d of reform relatively, than anything else ; sugar, and lea and
in the legal machinery at rice, being necessary uomesiibh s, always com-
31a.hic.-rr For prow- present available in mid a sale, whether insecurity prevail or not.
v. og elutes. Southern Persia, in order to | But the purchase of clothing amongst triles-
trad-* against fraud. , men of the ,outh is ::i many caves a luxury, and
It m ty not he generally understood by exporters the impossibility, owing to the risks involved, for
~ Europe, when they find, themJolves involved in 1 ped’.srs and petty traders to carry on business
- fienltics with their clients, how easy it is for t amongst tee tribes people and small villages
? ;>i in debtors to defv their creditors, and hb\v . has almost stopped th? import of some styles of
-'-nder the m-'ins which *-he foreign Consul, ! goods.
vtb the best will In the world, is able to employ I
lx the recovery of a cl »im. | pv-ce-g«ods trade, as carried on by British
t, . r* s t r\ • i r • i firms in Southern Persia, was and is still to a
is no Cod-: of Commercial Law in ] u d dene ^ The hwewri-
::r,ai procedure in such cases is entirely rule of : ^ ^ ^ ^ ,hU in two w . firstI
a"' * «=ce^ral issae .s on.y obtained by | ,£e e^rl0_vrl£.nt of 3 Jnnin„ systpra J busmeis
:3 iaUor a *ett'>em‘nt ofthe eW and by the ^te’tU l0, “U‘inUe
^plovmentof sir,t,gem tact and resourceful- j, 7’a “ ,',h*
vss by the Con-Til a! again t the debtor. All uT „ times: secondly and presumably,
- •• oft-m the \gmt of the claimant thinks that ^ more piotractcd the insecurity bus become the
ie his d me h-s duty when he has made a com- ! have the financial losses sustained by
•'•fiat t> (be Consulate, and is unwilling for !rt,aVbuy're U"able 1o
inrate reasons to adopt a strong line against the n. n re leve ^eir poaiion.
p.fondant The Consul is then left to fulfil the Were th’s condition of insecurity to continue,
•Actions of plaintiff, and plaintiff’s solicitor and | and Income vo intolerable financially as to cause
^a*el as well. On the other hand, the Persian j the old and respected firms to withdraw from the
^irial M, himself hound to support his own | Persian market, the result would be serious, for
lil,0Qd to a eertiin extent, in.order to escape the | Manchester export trade to Persia, from £1,000,000
“^asatii.n of partiality to foreign interests. j to £1,500,000 in normal times, is one of those
„ f^ie tomlen *y is, therefore, for the Persian j important little items which help to keep going
■^•.•inl t > ste-r a middle course, and prevail on i ^e c*'^on industry.
°Mthe 8Q? i"el ‘ The c-cnnrmic position of the market centres
4i0tt ge * hC Plamt,1! Sh°Uld aCCept that ? the interior, xriVh congestion of goods and
T, ’ # . ^ ^ * closure of lhe two routes north, entails a heavr
j. ,Uo abwnce of :i written Code of Commercial loss of markrt, and in the Ispahan area goods are
w» u'dh penalties for infraction, is at the ‘ coming in freely from the north of Persia.