Page 58 - 5 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE I_Neat

14 ISUSIIIKE.

Batoum route probably has some effect iu Bushire, but not
to the same extent as in Bunder Abbas. The Persian Minister
of Customs in his statistical report for the year March, 1905, to
March, 1906, notes that the increase of Russian trade must be
ascribed in part to the "import to the amount of 70,117/. value
of teas of Indian origin imported by transit through Russia.”
Another point hitherto ignored in India is the blending of a
pale tea for the Persian market; the ordinary 41 anna tea is too
black and has too much dust and broken leaf. Evidence 08
to the popularity of pale blends in South Persia may be found
in the classification bv the customs of 1,660/. as “ Pale teas ”
from India in 1905 and of 3,90SI. in 1906. There is likely to
be a better year for Indian teas in 1907-08; tea for the August
auctions in Calcutta is said to be low-priced, winch means a heavier
import into Persia, whilst that of Lamsars will probably be small,
and there is no demand for Appars. As much as 150 chests per
month of Batavian tea were brought by one firm into Bushire
during 1906-07. but often they did not feteh their price inland.
Glassware. No attempts seem to have yet been made by glass manufac­
turers in the United Kingdom to put cheap tea glasses on the
Persian market. The import from Russia decreased last year
from 583/. to 96/., but there is a constant demand for this article.
The special type of glass in use in Persia stands about 2i inches
high and is globular in shape, the circumference or the globe measur­
ing 4;} inches, diameter of mouth l-f5 inches. A case usaally
contains 1,250 glasses, and the local price is at the rate of 30 krans
(10^. 1 lcf.) per 100 glasses. The saucers, quite plain, have been largely
imported from Austria-Hungary and are 3 J inches in diameter;
they are packed 1,000 to the case, and wholesale local prices are
38 krans per 100 saucers. In the first six months of the year also
some 380 cases of earthenware were'imported from Russia : there
is a very large demand in Persia for cheap white teapots for use
with the samovar. There are considerable quantities of large
tumblers of very common glass of Belgian manufacture used in
Bushire and sold at 2d. each. Austro-Hungarian small tumblers
for tea drinking are very extensively used up-country and are
sUghtly better in quality.
Window The increase from Germany of window glass is another instance
glaaa.
of a Belgian manufacture brought in German bottoms. Some
1,728 cases were brought from Antwerp after July. The panes
measure 12 by 10 inches and are of different co’ours. The value
in Bushire is 20 krans per cas * of 60 panes white; 30 krans (105. lid.)
per case of coloured glass.
Export*. Exports were valued at 598,421/. as compared with 469,941/.
in 1905. This increase—fairly general in character—is the more
satisfactory in view of the general poverty and the unsatisfactory
condition of the national finances of the country. Till the
country is opened up it will be difficult to balance the imports and
exports, but meanwhile much might doubtless be done towards

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