Page 55 - Gulf Precis (III)_Neat

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CHAPTER X.

Trade and Customs, 1895—98.
(i) Closing of the scales at Matrali except for the weighing Fard dates, 1895.
177. Sayyid Faisal and bis predecessor, Sayyid Turki, have always looked
with a jealous eye on the neighbouring
External A., Majr 1805, No*. 191-211.
port of Matrah which, not cut off as Maskat
is from land communication with the interior, is the natural outlet for tho
trade especially in dates finding its way to tho sea from this portion of Oman.
One of the moans tho Sultans have had to recourse to benefit Maskat at the
exponso of Matrali, has been to enforce tho weighment of dates at Maskat
brought in tho first instance to Matrali. The first known attempt was made in
1880, and subsequently in 1885 and 1889, when on each occasion the protest
of tho Political Agouts forced tho hands of the Sultans to restore the statue
ante quo.
178. The forth attempt was made by Sayyid Faisal in August 1895, when
His Highness suddenly ordered tho closing of the scales at Matrah to the
weighment of other than Fard dates (Major Saddler to Resident, dated 30th
August 1894).
179. Tho exemption of tho Fard dates from the operation of the order was
made in the interests of America, which had a practical monopoly of their
export trade. This privilege, Major Saddler thought, unduly favoured the
American trade as against a portion of the Indian trade, which is contrary to
the treaty of 1891 (Article 2).
180. The order also, as argued by Major Saddler, offended against Article
4, because it was a restriction on purchasing and selling articles of native produc­
tion uevery where'* and compelled British Indian merchants to purohase dates
at Maskat, which might l}o purchased at Matrali, their natural export depdt, at
less cost and with less inconvenience and delay.
181. The Sultan contended that the practice now enforced by him was an
ancient one only recently interrupted under order of the late Sayyid Turki to
avoid quarrels botween tho Arabs and British Indian subjects, and that the
weighing of the dates of Matrah ruined the port of Maskat. As a matter of
fact the ancient practice was quite the reverse—interrupted by forcing
occasionally the export of dates from Matrah to Maskat, in the interests of the
Baniahs, who had an interest on the customs in Maskat and have been always
jealous of the Kliojah merohauts of Matrah.
182. Colonel Wilson wrote to tho Sultan arguing the points, but His
Highness was obdurate and wished the question to be referred for orders of the
Government of India. The Resident pointed out that the trade of Maskat
had decreased because it had ceased to he tho important emporium it had been,
when navigation on the Persian Gulf had been dangerous on account of
piracies and ships bad to halt at Maskat before proceeding to the Gulf, or had to
tranship their cargo there (Colonel Wilson's No. 7, dated 20th January 1895).
183. Before the Government of India passed any orders on the question,
it was reported that tho scales had been re-opened at Matrah ou 25th April
1895 under orders passed by tho Sultan of his own accord (Resident’s No. 22,
dated 13th April 1895). But no communication had been made to the
Political Agent.
184. The Government of India then directed that the Political Agent
should intimate to His Highness that they had heard with satisfaction of the
removal of a restriction which was calculated to injuriously affect British sub­
jects doing business in dates at Matrah and trusted that His Highness would
not in future sanction moasurcs likoly to hamper trade (Foreign Department
No. 945-E., dated 14th May 1895).
(ii) Sultan’s order insisting on uniform weights of bags of rice imported, 1897.
185. In May 1897 an attempt was made by the Sultan to insist that all
bags of rice imported into Maskat should
Golf Administration Report. 1897*08.
be of one uniform weight. As such an
order was calculated to hamper trade and to benefit nobody, the matter was
represented to His Highness, who then revoked his order.