'Adminisistration [Administration] Reports 1931-1935' [‎20r] (39/416)

No trade statistics are available for the year but during the Persian Year
1309 (1930-31), it would appear that Russian imports amounted to six and a haM
million krans ; their share in the piece-goods trade being krans 2,735,000 out of
a total of krans 8,153,000 and in the sugar trade krans 3,010,000 out of a total
import of 5,320,000. The greater part of the general import for the year, however,
came from the United Kingdom and India.
A certain feature has been the persistence of a few German firms to continue
exports in spite of .the extraordinary difficulties in obtaining exchange.
In spite of granting credits though only to a very limited extent and obtaining
re-imburst mtnt by small instalments, the Russians cannot be said to be popular.
Their detei mi nation to sell, tends to make them cut prices e\en against merchants
in the same market to whom they may- have sold goods. The Russians, never
theless have virtually secured a monopoly in the local markets in the lines of goods
in which they specialise, and their success lies mostly in their system of barter.
The Trade Monopoly Law, however, detrimental to trade in general, promises to
be advantageous to the Russians for the aforesaid reasons.
Shipping and Navigation.
Bandar Abbas. —140 steam ships aggregating 298,642 tons entered and
cleared the port during the year and comprised 126 British, 5 German and 9
Russian vessels. Seventeen vessels brought merchandise from the United
Kingdom, of which 12 belonged to Messrs. Frank C. Strick and Co., Limited, and
5 to the Ellerman Bucknall Steamship Company.
The five German steamers were of the Hansa Line of Bremen and embarked
their cargoes at Hamburg or Antwerp. The nine Russian vessels belonged to the
Soviet Mercantile Fleet and conveyed goods from Odessa.
Lingah. —75 ships, all British with a total of 141,326 tons entered and cleared
the port.
No shipping casualties were reported during the year.
Political.
The year under review may be said to be a quiet one in this respect.
The anniversary of the Coronation of His Imperial Majesty Reza Shah Pahlevi
which had previously been celebrated on the 4th Farvardin (April 23rd), was not
observed this year, as it had been decided by the Central authorities to celebrate,
this day on the Shah’s birthday, the 24th Island (15th March).
Quarantine and Sanitation.
Dr. Ali Khan Hamedi, the Health and Quarantine Medical Officer, who was
relieved by Dr. Sarfaraz temporarily, returned to Bandar Abbas in April and
remained in charge till the end of the year.
No epidemics were reported to have occurred in the district during the period
under review.
In August, owing to the outbreak of cholera at Basra and Mohammerah,
vessels arriving from those ports were placed in quarantine, unless they had com
pleted five days during the voyage.
All restrictions were removed in December.
Bandar Abbas town charitable Sub-Assistant Surgeon Jamedar
Abdur Rahim, I. M. D., remained in charge during the year.
The funds for the maintenance of this institution have been running low
during the past few jnars and it was found necessary to raise further subscriptions
to meet its growing expenditure. The closing of the Dispensary, in spite of the
benefit being derived by the townspeople in general, will be inevitable in the
near future, especially as it is intended to withdraw the medical Officer from the
Consulate and to abolish that post.