'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency for the Years 1915-1919' [‎73r] (152/396)

^ 1.
BP
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FOR THE TEAR 1916. 67
Such arms then as are obtained are from stock which still exist in the
country
The Arms Warehouse has worked satisfactorily.
Tl*e Superintendent, Abdul* Eahman, died in September.
A temporary Superintendent was appointed in the person of Muhammad
Ibrahim, an Indian, and the financial Secretary to His Highness.
Saivid Abu Salih, the displaced Customs Superintendent, was appointed
Superintendent of the Arms Warehouse, in December 19] 6, and appears to be a
satisfactory man but his work is a sinecure.
Trade has gone from bad to worse during the year as shown by the follow-
Trade. tableS
Imports.
Exports.
£
£
1913-14
407,728
271,537
1914-15
327,612
274,939
1915-16
242,994
188,121
K 2
It is anticipated that a bigger fall will be shown in 1916-17. No business
is beino> done in the town and the leading member of the Hindu community
informed the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. that many of the traders would leave Oman if
they had not so many outstandings which they could not recover during the
present disturbed state of the country. It is worthy to note that these occur m
the country under the rule of the Sultan, The " Imam " causes all debts to be
paid.
Dates, pomegranates and other fruits form the staple export of the interior.
The custom has always been for the traders in the ports to visit the interior or
to send his Agent to make local purchases on the spot.
It is now, however, impossible for any British Subject to visit the interior
and it is equally impossible for the owners of property to visit the ooast towns.
It has thus been found necessary to make as Agents for both parties the
owner of the caravans who are allowed to pass freely from the interior to the
coast and vice-versa. This safe conduct is a necessity to both sides since unless
the dates, etc., reached the coast, the grower would have no market for the
produce; while the Sultan agrees to the plan since it allows him to collect ins
5 per cent, duty without which his reduced revenues would be still tuitiier
attenuated.
The caravan owner is, however, often not only unreliable but also illiterate
and thus proves an unsatisfactory Agent. Profits are accordingly reduced and
trade suffers.
The once prosperous town of Maskat first dependent for its prospeiity
on the Navy and merchant service which made the ^ Sultan of Maskat an
overlord of fame throughout the East and which, later, maintained some measure
of its ancient prosperity by means of the arms traffic, is now steadily dwind mg.
Empty houses and ruins mark its decay; day by day the signs of its decadence
increase and presumably will continue to do so more and more until such time
as trade with the interior becomes possible again, though it will never achieve
its earlier importance as a trade centre for distribution to Persia and Mesopo
tamia.
Landing arrangements were not satisfactory and traders had difficulty in
receiving claims. Saiyid Yusuf-al-Zawawi remained in charge of the wor
which was, however, at the end of the year, transferred to the Customs Depart
ment a much more satisfactory arrangement, since it left the control o goo s
in one hand from the time of leaving the ship's side till handed over to the
merchant. Eormerly any merchant demanding compensation o 0( ^ s 08 01 1
broken found himself engaged as a shuttlecock in a game of battledore and
shuttlecock between the Landing Agents, the Customs and the Shipping, gen s.
21. Slaves were freed during the year
Slave Trade - under report.