Coll 28/39(2) ‘Persia. Printed Correspondence, 1937–’ [‎50v] (100/320)

( 80 )
Letter from the British Consulate, Kerman, to the Foreign Office, London,
No. 12, dated 21st July 1937.
In compliance with Foreign Office Circular No. K. 3187/3187/250, dated the
28th April 1937, inviting reports on the personal aspects of life at Consular posts,
I have the honour to forward, herewith, my report in so far as the Consular pasts
of Kerman and Bandar Abbas are concerned.
Enclosure to Serial No. (80).
Copy.
(K. 10190/3081/250).
Report on the Personal aspect of His Britannic Majesty’s Consulate,
Kerman.
Climate and general standard of health.
L Altitude 5,680 feet. Climate is superb—June, July and August are the
hottest months. The average maximum temperature in the shade during the
hottest time of the day being about 100°. The nights, however, are cool. The
winter months are perfect with a climate which is sunny, bracing and dry, and can
be likened to that of Switzerland.
General standard of health is good throughout the year. A Consular Officer
can take wife and family to Kerman without endangering their health. English
women and English children can live at Kerman.
Health Resorts,
2. Kerman itself is a health resort,
Clothing requirements.
3. Light summer clothing for the three hot months, and winter clothing for the
remaining months. Extra warm clothing is necessary during December, January
and hebruary when there are falls of snow, and anything up to 18 degrees of frost.
General cost of living.
4. (a) Cast of food. -There are neither hotels, restaurants nor messing clubs.
A Consular Officer has to make his own arrangements for food, the normal cost of
which varies from £8 to £10 per mensem. Owing to the embargo placed on foreign
liquors, stores and tinned provisions, applications for permits to import these
have to be made to Tehran, through the British Legation there.
(5) Cost of clothing for men, women and children, ete.—No decent clothum can
be obtained locally, the approximate cost of clothing for a single officer varies
from £20 to £50 per year.
(c) Housing Government premises are available in the
Consulate, free of rent.
{d) Furniture. -A certain amount of furniture goes with the house Extra
furniture, if necessary, can be made locally at moderate rates.
(e) Fuel, lighting and water. Lighting and water arrangements m with the
house, luel is supplied by the Government for three months during the winter
hue! is obtainable locally in the Summer at moderate rates.
(/) SenM^.-Servants can be engaged locally at moderate wa^s varying
irom £2 to £3 per mensem. ° j »
(< 7 ) Facilities for and cost of travelling, «fc.—The only means of travelling is by
motor car, the rate of which is about one shillling for every farsakh or about S miles.
(h) Medical Attendance. The Church Missionary Society’s Medical Officer is a
part-time medical officer of the Consulate. 7 medical Officer is a
(<) focal taxation, as applied to Consular Officers,—A. Consular Officer is exempt
ed from paying mcome-tax The Customs duties, the rates of which vary from
time to time, are the only local taxes which affect the Consular Officers ^