'Reports on (1) the Conservancy of the Shatt-el-Arab river from the Port of Basra to the Persian Gulf and on (2) the Development of the Port of Basra. By Sir George Buchanan Kt., C.I.E' [‎12r] (27/62)

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What appears to be of greater importance to Britisli trade, is tliat British
influence over the province of Arabistan should be strengthened and communica
tions improved with Basra by a railway to Ahwaz and Ispahan, and that having
regard to the entire change in the political situation caused by the possession of
Baghdad, the British zone of influence in Persia should include Kermanshah and
Ispahan, and that the railway from Baghdad to Khanikin and Kermanshah should
be built by British capital.
(8) On the assumption that my views as to the future of the Port of Basra
are accepted, it may be presumed that one of the first acts of Government will be
to establish the port on a proper basis and provide accommodation for the existing
trade with provision for its future development. In the following chapters I will
therefore make suggestions for the administration and equipment of the port.
ADMINISTRATION.
(9) In Port Administration three leading principles may be laid down : (i) the principles,
sole object of a port administration is to benefit the community at large and the
trade of the country, bearing in mind that business follows port facilities ; {ii) the
authority controlling the port should be composed of men able to bring special
commercial knowledge and sound judgment to bear on the many and diverse prob
lems with which they have to deal, combined with a broad view of their respon
sibilities and a recognition of the national as well as local interests frequently
involved in the questions that come before them ; (in) no complete development
can take place without ownership and control of the entire port area by one recog
nised authority. The existence of rights and privileges by individuals or trading
companies involving the creation of private ports within the port, has, in the past,
been a fruitful source of trouble and has retarded the development of many of our
principal ports.
(10) Ports in the British Empire are usually controlled by one or other of the Methods of
following methods : — Administration.
(a) The municipality, as at Bristol.
(h) Private or public companies, as at Manchester and, until recent years,
London.
(c) A railway company, as at Southampton, Cardiff, Heysham, andlmming-
ham.
(d) A public trust, as at Liverpool, Glasgow, Bombay, Calcutta, etc.
Of the four methods, the latter is by far the most popular and the most satis
factory An East India Company trading post. , as the organization is largely in the hands of men who in their private
businesses are intimately connected with the port and who take an interest and
a pride in its management.
Control by private or railway companies is, under certain conditions, success
ful ; 'but management by a municipality is undesirable under any circumstances.
The history of many ports in the British Empire begins with their control by
a municipal committee, but the tendency of such bodies to regard the port merely
as a contributor to municipal revenues and to use the funds in the interests of the
town rather than the port, led to remonstrances on the part of the shipping com
munity and finally the emancipation of the port from the town and the creation of
a port trust.
(11) I do not think that at Basra it would be expedient in the initial stages Proposal to
of port development to form a port trust in the usual acceptance of the term, but ^ittee* * COm "
,1 suggest that as soon as possible a port and river conservancy committee be
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