Page 54 - 5 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE I_Neat

10 ni'SIHRE.

of it in the United Kingdom. Table cutlery, sheath knives, scissors,
nails, cheap lamps, locks and hinges, gramophones are a few of
the items that might achieve success, in up-country towns more
especially. The Persian bazaars are worth studying at first hand
by dealers in hardware, for at present they are full of trumpery
wares. Cheapness is, however, more requisite in most items Ilian
good workmanship.
Copper. The rather pronounced decrease of sheet copper imported, from
39,097/. in 1901 to 7,GG0/. in the year under review, is largely duo
to the high prices at which that metal has been quoted for some
time past. In 1904. when copper ruled approximately at G7/. per
ton, the country was so well stocked that the supply is only just
being worked off. There is already a slightly increased demand
for the year 1907-03. Owing to the sudden and considerable
fluctuations in price to which the metal is subject, Persians have
become afraid, and prefer to buy it in Bombay from the stocks kept
there. It is imported in sheets weighing from 15 to 40 lbs. This
explanation of what appears at first sight to be a shrinkage of
exports of metal from the United Kingdom to Persia applies to the
other metals Ix-sides copper.
Writing and One of the immediate effects of the granting of a Constitution
printing has been an increase in the number of news sheets and journals
paper.
Paperware. printed in the different towns of the Empire. The paper on which
these are printed is exceedingly poor in quality and at one time
during the year 190G-07 one of the principal newspapers in Persia
was reported to be very hard put to it to find sufficient suitable
material. Very large supplies of cheap grey and white thin foreign
writing paper arc in use.
The most striking feature of the imports has been the very
heavy influx of loaf sugar into the country. Both in 1904 and
1905 it was estimated at some 75,000/.; in 1906-07 it rose to the
record figure of 131,353/. There are three principal brands im­
ported from Marseilles, Belgium and Hungary respectively.
loaf engar. Of the total amount mentioned above. 97,987/. has been declared
as French sugar, which commands the market northwards from
Shiraz. It is both sweeter and more quickly soluble than the
other kinds, and is for those reasons preferred by the bulk of
the Persians. Nearly all loaf sugar brought for Persian consump­
tion is in cones about 11 inches high, wrapped in dark-bine paper,
and with a round black label in the centre inscribed in gold-
The cones are brought in cases and bags; to a large extent
French sugar is in bags containing 24 loaves of 2 kilos, each,
which constitutes a half donkey load, for the transport up-country
on donkey back is about lOd. per cwt. cheaper than mule transport.
Here, again, the customs figures are misleading, for in spite
of the considerable amounts to which British and Indian origins
are assigned, it is improbable that any British or Indian sugars
were actually imported. These items are in the one case due to
the orders given by middlemen here on their agents in Bombay to