Page 65 - 5 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE I_Neat

DfSHIKF, 21
tobacco trade is capable of great developmeut, but is hampcre.d
by the restrictions imposed by the Persian Government in their
concession to the Societe de Tombac. Very profitable openings
would probably be found in Tunis, Tripolis, Algiers and Morocco,
and a demand exists, though unsatisfied, on the east and west
coast of Africa. Prices of Isfahan “ tambaku ” in Bushire ruled
from 3J to G krans (Is. 3d. to 2s. 2d.) per man of 7} lbs. The export
duty is 1 kran (4 \d. per man of G1 lbs.). Crops promise to be good
for the current year.
This year shows an increase of cotton of 2,131/., but Moscow Raw cotton,
has taken nearly all, operations for some years past in Bushire
having been almost confined to bedding purposes, where formerly
there was a large consumption for the manufacture of native sail­
cloth. Fraudulent packing and the crusliing of the cotton seed,
in addition to the shortness of the staple, caused by ignorant
and careless cultivation, as well as heavy rates of freight have made
Persian cotton unsuitable for British mills. The improvement
of inodes of transport from Fars and further prosecution of
experiments with Egyptian cotton seed might lead to a larger export
to India. Up to date a system of drawbacks has enabled an im­
portant firm of manufacturers in Moscow to deal in Persian cotton,
but even that has not prevented them from faring badly. Prices
in Bushire throughout 1906-07 were from 6 to 7 krans (2s. 3d. to
2s. 7Id.) per man of 7J lbs.

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