Page 51 - 5 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE I_Neat

BUSIIIIIE. 7
Hamburg is the place of origin and 'declares them as such. The
same remark applies to several items of imports from other countries;
little or none of the sugar from the United Kingdom, declared at
G,8367. and matches at 1,9211., are British products, but Belgian
and Swedish respectively.
On the other hand, much of the increase of 60,0247. under Indian
cottons represents British manufactures transhipped at Bombay.
An increase from 3,7017. to 10,52G7. represents fairly accurately Matoho*.
both the increased use and the increased importance of matches
as a trade commodity. At the same time the market is temporarily
overstocked, so many kinds haring been introduced, and there
are said to be about 400 cases unsold in Bushire. The assign­
ment of a large portion of the above sum to the United Kingdom,
Germany and India is misleading, as, with the exception of some
Austro-Hungarian matches, ail brands on the market are Swedish.
The “ Rupee,” a sulphur match made in Sweden, has been largely
driven off the market by the Vulcans Tandstickor “ Globe ” brand,
likewise a sulphur match made at Tidaholm in Sweden and supplied
to Persia via Hamburg. These latter are packed in cases containing
50 gross *and in boxes of about 75 matches each, liinches in length;
this gives them a very considerable advantage over the Rupee ”
brand, which has a useless length of wood, but their cliief merit is
the low price of 150 krans (27. 15s. Gd.) per 50 gross as against
180 krans (37. 6s. Sd.) for the “ Rupee.” An Austro-Hungarian
sulphur match in round boxes found a considerable sale in the pro­
vince of Isfahan. The only safety match in general use by the
better classes and smokers is the “ Ship ” brand, made at Soder-
telje in Sweden, selling at a price of 270 krans (57.) per 50 gross
with about 63 matches per box. Matches for Persia are largely
supplied through Bushire, and it would seem well worth the while
of British manufacturers to set themselves to produce matches,
especially sulphur, which would compete with the “ Globe ” and
“ Ship ” brands. Consumers in Persia are like sheep in transferring
their custom, and the easiest way to win it is to cut still finer the
prices of competitors. It must be borne in mind that only the
wealthy can afford to pay the prices of safety matches, and the
peasants, the majority of the population, prefer a match that can
be ignited without the aid of a box.
The import of arms and ammunition is not likely to be per- Anna nod
manent, being due to a special order from the Persian Government.
The import generally is prohibited, but the smuggling of arms hag
increased out of all bounds, and so hopeless do the customs adminis­
tration consider their efforts to cope with it that in outlying stations
the native officials have resigned themselves to conniving at gun-
running. There has been more than one large consignment brought
into Bushire itself by night.
The increase in Indian timber should be maintained. Though Wood,
restricted in its scope by defective transport into the interior there
are signs of a constant demand in the neighbourhood of Bushire
(230) a 4