'Persia and the Persian Question by the Hon. George Nathaniel Curzon, M.P.' [‎526] (589/714)

526
PERSIA
In 1877, however, Russia embarked upon a policy of strict
protection, and adopted almost prohibitive measures against the
Russian Caucasian transit trade by demanding the deposit with
protection R liss i ari officials of a sum equal to the entire value of the
goods transported through her territory, which was only returned
after it had been certified by official report that the goods had
crossed the frontier intact. This edict had the effect of driving
back the European trade with Persia to the Trebizond route. It
was to some extent modified a little later, but reappeared in a yet
more savage form in 1883, to which year we may attribute the
almost total cessation of the Caucasian route for European goods
bound for Persia, which have ever since continued to enter the
country from Trebizond. Of this route and the value of the trade
that passes along it, I shall say something in a later chapter upon
the Commerce of Persia. I am here restricting myself to the
figures of Azerbaijan, of which, however, it must be borne in mind
that a large proportion only passes through the Custom-house in
transit to other parts of the country, and therefore must not be
mistaken for local consumption.
Taking the returns for the last three years, or a period twenty
Latest years posterior to that previously selected, we find that
statistics totals are as follows :—
Imports .
Exports .
Total volume of trade . 1,485,143
1887
£910,108
575,035
£'664,196
413,694
1,077,890
1,243,347
England still retains a scarcely disputed command of the market
in cotton goods (grey and white, coloured, and prints), the value
of her imports in these commodities (nearly all from Manchester)
having been 393,220Z. in 1888 and 501,8302. in 1889. During
the same years Russia only imported 170 bales of cotton goods in
1888, and 196 bales, valued at 4,000/., in 1889. The collapse in
Russian competition, which raged rather merrily a few years ago,
is to some extent due to temporary circumstances, of which the
main is the extraordinary rise of fifty per cent, in the value of the
Russian paper rouble in the course of the last two years, render
ing importation from that country an unremunerative proceeding.
Russia, however, assisted by a large direct bounty to her exporters,
has handsomely beaten French sugar in the Tabriz market,
although the rise in the rouble may detrimentally affect her here
giw
rran Europe
"-^lieteq
••581# 1