Page 290 - 7 Persian Trade rep Muscat 1_Neat

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lilf.c g.y*rn fndd:r obtainable for cattle which on There are no cx-orl dalin«, hut a charge of 5
the coast arc fed 0 :1a mixture of fishes heads a:;d per cent, is levied in Muscat and t':ie coast pert;,
date stones cocAid t ••gelher and dale baskets with on all dates and ether fruits brought from the
a email quantity oflucvrno gras-. Hut springs interior. Pomegranates arc charged at special rates
containing sulphur Hour from the mountains from as an impost on the rebel chief of the Jcbcl
3 to C miles from Muttra and are used for the iVklidar, in wlioco country this frait is grown.
cultivation of limes. Limes are grown along the The Customs Dq -urtment is under the charge
coa^t lino and the lower valleys and form a of a Superintendent, who is a British Indian
considerable export. subject. The Customs revenues arc tho main
Pomegranates are grown on tie Jcbcl Akhdar. source of tho Saltan's income and the/ are heavily
charged with the debts which he has incurred in
Government, attempting to quell the rebellion in the interior.
The Government ;> oriental in type and auto­ The Customs headquarters arc at Muscat,
cratic in nature. British subjects arc by treaty including Muttra, hut there is an important post at
subject to tho juris diction of their own Govern­ Sur which, were it [ roperly controlled, would add
ment and cases are tried by Ilis Majesty's very considerably to IIis Highness's revenues.
Political Agent and Consul under the Muscat Ilis control over Sur is, however, tempered with
Order in Council, 1015, which Applies a certain considerable Icnivn :y owing to his waut of
number of the Indian Codes to British subjects sufficient force and thus he loses a great part of
in Oman and adapts the law in principle to that the duty which should be charged. Sur dealing, as
prevailing in India. already mentioned, direct with Ii_dia, Zanzibar
and Hast Africa has a considerable trade with the
Cases against Arab subjects arc tried in the
capital by the S-ihsa or his “ Bur/a" (consiatir.g iutcrior of Oman.
usually of one orrr. :>;? of Ilis Ilig! ness's brothers), Other Customs posts exists at Sib, Barba,
aud in the coastal tawns by the Wall or Govern jr Masna'ab, KhaburaL aud Sohar, roadstead?, rather
appointed by’ the Sultan. than port?, which serve other parts of the
Commercial re in* lit y is practically non-existent interior.
and cases take One lo settle if not indefinitely No Customs returns are published and such a.s
postponed, liis Highness the Sultan 13 making are kept are far from reliable. No returns are
efforts to improve this condition of affairs, but is kept of exports.
handicapped byrbel-ek of any system of adminis­
tration, the wan: cf tiustwoitby officials and the Roads and Communications.
condition of tie interior.
Roads do not exist except f.r camels and
Since 1913 the v.ricde of Oman proper has been
in rebellion agiir.:t the Sultanate, a rebellion donkeys which are the two beasts of burden.
founded cn religious grounds and on inherited Horses are found in certain parts but cannot b e
dynastic problems. In the same year the present said to be c&mmon. Travel was, even before the
Sultan succeeded his father and inherited this rebellion, unsafe excejt under a system of tribal
revolution, a coniitica which he has been unahle protection known as Kifarat. Owing to the necessity
to improve upon. under which both sides exist, on the one side the
necessity for the sale of dates and pomegranates,
on the other that of obtaining revenue, imports
Language.
aud exports continue though to a limited degree.
The language of the country is Arabic. No European trader could at present go
Hindustani is gjc-rially understood and Baluchi inland.
commonly spoken among the numerous Baluchis.
A certain number of persons understand Persian. Total Trade.
Some members cf the leading firms understand
English, in which language business can Le As might be expected with the European War,
transacted. high freights aud the rebellion in the interior,
imports again show a considerable reduction.
Customs Administration. In normal years they total in value about
Rs. 42,00,000, excluding arms which arc now no
Under the Commercial Treaties with Great longer imported. The figures in 1913-14 were
Britain and with France an ad valoret* duty of swelled by a considerable import of rice as well a«
5 per cent, is charged on good?, imported *into big imports in oil, oilman stores 3nd twist and
Oman. yarns. In 1915-16 tho imports had fallen to