'Persia and the Persian Question by the Hon. George Nathaniel Curzon, M.P.' [‎213] (248/714)

POLITICS AND COMMERCE OF KHORASAN
213
imports of the same article. English knives and scissors, crockery
and porcelain, of which there seemed to be very little in the bazaars,
2. British bnt 7 hi0h come > this roite, are greedily snapped
up when offered for sale, though at higher prices than
the corresponding articles of Russian manufacture. Simultane
ously I found a consensus of opinion that the Russian import of
cheap cotton fabrics of which I have spoken had been very much
overdone, that the bazaars were now overstocked with these goods,
and that they could only be sold at prices which would result in
serious losses to their owners. The main feature of the com
petition between the two countries was undoubtedly this;
that all English articles are considered vastly superior in
durability and quality; but that the enormous distances which
they have to traverse and the high prices which must necessarily
be charged, render it almost impossible for them to compete with
their rivals. For my part I think it extraordinary, when we com
pare the two situations (putting aside altogether the articles
m which Russia cannot compete, such as indigo, minerals and
tea), that Great Britain should still claim so creditable a propor
tion of the trade. Whether it can be maintained is another
question, to which I should hesitate to return an affirmative
answer.
Of the Russian total of 110,400Z. imported by the Transcaspian
railway, cotton stuffs, plain and coloured, constitute nearly one-
8. Russian ^ 1 | rc ^ ^ ie secoil cl largest item is sugar, which has
driven every other sugar, French or Indian, out of the
market, and is sold in the bazaars at 4^. a pound—a price that is
m the main due to the bounties granted by the Russian Govern
ment to Russian exporters of the article, 1 and with which it is
next to impossible for Indian sugar, even though made from the
sugar-cane, to compete. Russian crockery and porcelain, which
are almost universal, amount to 11,5001.; and the value of Russian
hardware is only 1,000Z. less.
. 11 we turn to exports of Khorasan, physical considerations
will explain the fact that the trade with Russia is vastly in excess
of that with India. Exclusive of such Indian goods as pass
One louble (2s.) pei poud (3G lbs.) excise duty is refunded on Russian sugar
exported abroad. In the case, however, of Central Asia and Persia, the rebate,
having served its purpose by completely driving out all other competitors from
the market, was discontinued from May 1, 1891.