'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf for the Year 1937' [‎20v] (40/72)

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route, with road guard posts at intervals. The route is liable to temporary
breaches from January to March, but for the remainder of the year heavy
lorries can make the journey in 2J— 3 days, and an ordinary car in 13-14 hours,
II. Wireless. —Except for the weekly test, the Kerman station was
practically closed throughout the year.
III. Aviation. —No aeroplane landed in Kerman during the year and
the two aerodromes are neglected.
7. Trade Developments.
I. During 1937 ginning factories were opened at Kerman, Sirjan, Zarand,
and Bayaz. The " Kerman Khorshid Spinning Mill " has a capital of about
rials 3,000,000 (£37,500) and employs some 350 persons.
A Soap factory An East India Company trading post. was also opened in Kerman.
In common with other centres, Kerman produced a large number of
monopoly companies or " Sherkats ". Of the 21 inaugurated during the year
the following are of some importance :—
Rials.
(1) Khorshid Spinning Mil] Capital ...... 3,000,000
(2) Woollen Textiles ......... 3,000,000
(3) Woollen Carding Company . 1,000,000
(4) Kerman piece-goods Company ...... 1,000,000
(5) Tea and Loaf sugar Company ...... 1,000,000
(6) Dried Fruits Company ........ 2,000,000
(7) Sherkat-i-Kala (Provisions) ....... 300,000
(8) Sherkat-i-Katira (Gum Tragacanth) ..... 1,070,000
(9) Motor Transport Company ....... 300,000
II. Carpet trade. —With the establishment of a Government monopoly
company a notice was issued prohibiting private business. The restriction
was subsequently withdrawn and private firms were allowed to continue
their bus ness. A branch of the monopoly company still exists in Kerman
but does not exercise monopoly rights. On the whole the markets for Kerman
carpets was not good during 1937, the American market being very poor
during the second half of the year.
The approximate value of exports in 1,000s of rials to Europe and the
United States during 1937 and the three preceding years are :—
1934. 1935. 1936. 1937.
Kermanies 11,751 9,545 9,704 9,200
Tribal 940 51 245 200
III. Grain Monopoly Department. —Towards the end of the year when the
result of the Government policy of putting more of the land under cotton
and other crops instead of grain began to be felt, this department functioned
with great difficulty. There was an acute shortage of bread throughout
the province and much suffering among the poorer classes in consequence.
7,400 maunds of wheat were brought from Isfahan and Hamadan in Novem
ber ^ and December which eased the situation to some extent, but the price of
bread rose much beyond the normal seasonal increase. It is understood that
the monopoly lost about rials 200,000 (£2,500) on the year's working.
IV. Dried Fruits Company. —This company which made a good profit
in 1936 did no trade at all in 1937 and the promoters proposed to withdraw
their capital and dissolve the company. But at the request of the Governor
the company continues to exist on paper with a reduced capital.
V. Sherkat-i-Kala (Provisions.)—Amin Zadeh, a local merchant in
charge of this company, was dismissed from the control in June and charged
with misappropriation of the company's funds to the extent of rials 360,000
(£4,500). Thereafter the company did no business for the remainder of
the year.
8. Local politics.
I. For obvious reasons there have been no outward manifestations
against the existing regime. The death of Aqai Davar, the ea:-Minister
of Finance, did not improve local feelings towards the present
Government, as it was generally accepted that he committed suicide because
he was dissatisfied with the trend of events in Iran.