Page 141 - 7 Persian Trade rep Muscat 1_Neat

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Bice.—There is x Urge decrease of nearly 2$
r0rtl..- profits. 9,5*,076 or £3 per ..cal from i cent. ul-1 r this head.
width re t be deducted the c* .rrer-pnor.g de- h'vlis of rupees or -0 per .
cns»«c cf Ks. 3,72,1)9 or 86 jer cent under the T'-.e reason given is t at prices have riled Irgh in
head" c f ‘ bar rilvcr The «<»:* g:c>. 'osUv la lia and prohibit'd largo import?. An additional
r...?o:i given is that t:. to was a goacly balance in
(hat ILeii.crcaac iu l-.-uritur.ate tr-vleifi 1*5. 4,-* 1,100
tc til import trace or lact year, (aft. r exclud- land of last year’s fl-.uks which enailed merchant!
on a to satisfy the local demands.
ir.g " arms and a mm unit ion 77 ac.d u bar silver7 )
of Ks. 37,93,871. Wheat.—There h 3n enormous increase under
The fvllowing itenu under the bead ,c Imports7* this head of Its. SI,020 or 2,577 per cent For­
show au increase. merly Muscat obtained its supply of wheat from
B*. Persia through Kuwait merchants. Kuwait mer­
Arini aid ammunition 9,58.376 o: C3 per ciut chants used to bring wheat, sell and buy arms.
Since the establishment of the Warehouse, how­
Wheal . ;• 81,92-1 or t.577 * ever, and the strict vigilance exercised by block­
Coffcn . • 46,971 cr 18 ading ships, smuggling of arm* has become really
Sncarfwft) . - 91,CIS or 64 difficult The import of wheat from Persia has
Cottcu g-joia 3,33,004 or 4.8 therefore also ceaied. Muscat merchants are
obliged to get their requirements from India.
Told 15.11.CS3
Wheat to the value of Rs. 12,251 has been im­
Against this increase there is a decrease of ported by “ Sailing Vessels ** from India. This
Rs. b,£3,235 to be accounted for, leaving a balance is a new departure.
of Rs. G,7 5,158, the Increase noticed above. The Wheat Flour.—The import under this head ha-
decrease of Rs. 8,33,235 is chiefiy nr.ti -<d under almost doubled. Rs. 02,211 worth of wheat was
the folZoving heads imported dnring the year as against Rs. 35,611 of
R#. the previous year. It is mostly imported by the
Rico . 2.21,2-12 or 2C yr cent. Naval contractor for the consumption of the
Ear suiter . 3,72,4-90 or 35 „ llo-.'kad'ng squadron.
Specie . 1,16,237 or 28 „ Wens. (Oclir ).—Shows a slight increase r-f
Saga.- Ceaf) 12,471 or 8 R=. 2,3*0 or 7 per cent. This article has made
Spices . 2l.£?6 or 3*5 „ Et'sadv progress.
Box boird* Co,618 or 57 ,, Bar Silver.—Th.r- is a further d.rp of nearly
31 lakhs of rupees or 36 p:r cent. Smuggl­
Total 3,12,134
ing has practically ceased and the steady large
Arm trade.—Great efforts were made during decrease during these two year? implies thit
the y€;2T under report to check the progr.ss of this smuggling has te:-a difficult. What appears :a
trade, so far as relates to the illicit export of *.!__•£c- returns was imported under certificates
u arras and ammunition 17 to ports where the* entry granted by this Consulate for retail sale in
of these goods is prohibited. Muscat and Matrah.
An “Arms Warehouse77 was established at Spices.—There is a falling off of P.s. 29,153 cr
Muscat on the let September, of which the pub­ 30 per cent. Large stock remained from la?t
lished rJr S and regulations required all arms and year7* imports.
arnmuuiu'.a lying in private godo-wnsto be brought Specie.—There is a further drop’of Rs. 1,10,237
and lodged in the Warehouse and all arms and or 56 per cent, under this head. The reason is
ammurj-.:cn imported after its establishment were net clear, but it is supposed that specie was shipped
to be taken direct to the Warehouse cn arrival. direct to Bombay instead of for Muscat where
The withdrawal of these arras from the Warehouse rates of exchange were more favourable and Ad?u
was also subjected to check and li icuse. Arms can demands were large.
only he sold retail and to approved buyers and the Cofee.—The import of coffee has done prettv
number of arra6 and the amount of ammunition fairly this year. Muscat was able to import
such purchasers arc allowed to buy are also limited Rs. 46,971 worth more coffee than last year
to comparatively small quantities. In this connec­ showing an increase of 18 per cent. The
tion, it is interesting to compare the amounts of
imports for the months of April to the end of impirts are all Malabar coflee which is preferred
to ,that from Brazil on account of the largeness
October, by which time the Warehouse regulations «f the beans.
had begin seriously to affect the traffic, and for
the lasz 3 months of the year. During the first Fresh Fruits.—There is a falling off of Rs. 7,409
7 months of the year, the returns show an import or 23 per cent. This fruit is for the con sump-
of Rs. 21,93,475 as against Rs. 5,48,490 for the tion of blockading ships.
last 5 mir.tbs showing a decrease for the last 5
months of the year of Rs. 16,44,985 or roughly Ghee.—There was a scarcity of ghee in Muscat
75 per c*nt. When it is further added that the daring the latter part of the year. Prices there­
5$ lakhs of the last 5 months of the year are fore rose high. Supplies from the Arab coast
almost er.t-.rely limited to largo imports ccnsigned did not come in as usual and Muscat was therefore
to If is Highness the Sultan of Muscat and to the obliged to import from Turkish Arabia and India.
Shaikh tf Kuwait, it will be realised that the Rs- 19,020 worth was sent in by India and
check, pi3fiIdv only temporary, to the arms traffic Rs. 32,260 worth came from Turkish Arabia.
has bee n really severe and far-reaching. Prices Kcrosine Oil—There it a slight increase of-
have risen at least GO per cent. As regards the Rs. 7,150 or 19 per cent. Of what appears
share of each country in the trade, Ilclgicra expor­ in these returns, Rs. 9,000 worth of Kerorine
ted goods to the extent of Rs. 14,92,359, United Ori was sent by the Anglo-Persiao Oil Company
Kingdom Rs. 11,7 4,920 worth and Germany . of Mubammcrah which i; now for the first time
Rs. 93,231 only, J
ar.d towards the close of the year under report