Coll 30/9(2) 'Admin. Reports of the Persian Gulf - 1945 -' [‎339r] (677/1148)

ejLanine the military sccwrity aituation and make appropriate
i cormrienaations.
Another amall Britirh n*otori6ed coltamn travelled to Buahire
ind escorted a convoy of trucks from Bushire to the north driven by
American personnel*
WOOKMU. M
A poor harvest due to l«ck of ruin 9 ojid the general insecuiity
the province resulted in a severe shortage of grain. 7Ms was to
pome extent net off by imports of wheat from India* Canada and the
United States of America. Conditions in the Southern part of tars
where crops are entirely dependent on rain were lamentable and many
people perished from starvation.
The liberty accorded to merchants and speculators to import
- ^ inability of the rrovernment effective^
led
to much hoarding with the
result that prices
The restriction in the latter part of* theyear on x*npvi »»—
of piece goods,woollen goods, drugs etc., led inevitably to hoarding
of existing stocks and their release only at rapidly Increasing prices.
Similarly the retail prices of home made products ro«e in sympathy
with the increase in the general cost of living and by the end of
the year manufactured gooos from the mills at Bushire and Isfahan
and of Shiraz itself reached unprecedented heights.
TRAP#.
Throughout the year 1942 market conditions in Shiraz showed
greet activity principally in the import business, in fact greater
than at any time since the outbreak of hostilities. The chief reason
was due to the depleted stocks of merchandise and the abundance of
foreign exchange available for imports. Towards the close of the
year imports showed a falling off dde to restrictions imposed by
foreign countries on exports a&A the lack of shining facilities.
Practically all imported goods cane from India, the nature
of the goods being tea, piece goods, sugar, coffee, spices, and yarn.
The export of merchandise to foreign countries was on a
very limited scale, the chief itens being, loubskins to U.3.A., gum
tragaeanth tc England, and carpets to Iraq, luring the second half
of 19-43 the export of iaabs^ins aus negligible.
During the year the following goods, which were the principal
Imports arrived in Shirazi-
15,000 sacks sugar (approximately}•
7.500 chests tea. (approximately).
3.000 bales piece goods ^India) (approximately).
3.500 bales piece goods ( :teraadish fuahira) (approximately).
1.500 bales piece gosdi (Isfahan and Yesd). (Approximately'.
At the close of the year the following goods were reported to be on
hand:-
5.000 sacks sugar, (approximately).
1,500 cheete tea. (approximately'.
600 bales piece goods (Indian'*.(approximately^.
400 bales piece goods {Bush ire X approximately .
360 bales piece goods (Isfahan and Yezd' (approximately).
Other goods of lesrer importance which arrived were:- spices, coffee,
window glass, and paper, all from India.
It is said that 140,000 pairs of lambskins were despatched
to America of which 130,000 are reported to have reached destination.
The figures for gum tragacanth exported to London are not
available but the quantity was probably less than 100 tons.
During the latter part of the year the carpet market showed
greater activity and moderate quantities wore ica^atched to Tehran
and Iraq.
Prices during the year fluctuated widely but on the whole
there was a more or less continued upward trend and it might be said
that, in general, prices latterly got out of control.
The following comparison of prices may be of interest
January 1943.
Tea Rials 36- per packet of 500 grammes.
Sugar Rials 1,350 per sack.
December 1943.
Rials 73-
Rials 3,700-
Large
in
Mir'
- 4 -
ejLanine the military security situation and. make appropriate
i cotniaenaations.
Another small British ifcotorised colvunn travelled to Bushire
and escorted a convoy of trucks from Bushire to the north driven by
American personnel*
ECONOMIC. . 1
A poor harvest due to lack of rain, and the general insecurity
i^» the province resulted in a severe shortage of grain. This was to
poine extent net off by imports of wheat from India, Canada and the
United States of America. Conditions in the Southern : .art of rare
where crop* are entirely dependent on rain *ei e lamentaole and many
people perished from starvation.
The liberty accorded to merchants and speculators to import
tea and sugar from India and the inability of the Government effective^
to control wholesale and retail prlces+of fcheee and other home products
rose quite unnecessarily high. By the end of the year tea was
retailing at Rials 120 (19/-) per 500 gramme packet, and sugar at
Rials 30 per kilo.
The restriction in the latter part of the year on imports
of piece goods,woollen goods, drugs etc., led inevitably to hoarding
of existing stocks and their release only at rapidly Increasing prices.
Similarly the retail prices of home made products rose in sympathy
with the increase in the general cost of living and by the and of
the year manufactured goods from the mills at Bushire and Isfahan
and of Shiraz itself reached unprecedented heights.
TRAD*.
Throughout the year 1942 market conditions in Shiraz showed
greet activity principally in the import business, in fact greater
than at any time since the outbreak of hostilities. The chief reason
was due to the depleted stocks of merchandise and the abundance of
foreign exchange available for imports. Towards the close of the
year imports showed a falling off dde to restrictions imposed by
foreign countries on exports a:.a the lack of shipping facilities.
Practically all imported goods cane from India, the nature
of the goods being tea, piece goods, sugar, coffee, spices, and yarn.
The export of merchandise to foreign countries was on a
very limited scale, the chief items being, leubskins to 0.5.A., gum
tragacanth tc England, and carpets to Iraq. During the second half
of 1942 the export of lambskins was negligible.
During the year the following goods, which wore the principal
imports arrived in Shiraz:-
15,000 sacks sugar (approximately).
7.600 chests tea. (approximately).
3.000 bales piece ^.oods (India) (approximately).
6,500 bales piece goods (Tteraadiah Bushire)
1.5.00 bales piece goods (Isfahan and
At the close of the year the following goods were reported to be on
handr-
5.000 sacks sugar, (approximately/.
1.600 chests tea. (approximately).
600 bales piece goods £ Indian)approximately)•
400 bales piece goods i Bushire)(approximately^.
360 bales piece goods (Isfahan and Yead' (approximately).
Other goods of lesser importance which arrived were:- apices, coffee,
window glass, and paper, all from India.
It is said thet 140,000 pairs of lambskins were despatched
to America of which 190,000 are reported to have reached destination.
The figures for gum tragacanth exported to London are not
available but the quantity was probably less than 100 tons.
During the latter part of the ye<*r the carpet market showed
greater activity and moderate quantities were despatched to Tehran
and Iraq.
Prices during the year fluctuated widely but on the whole
there was a more or less continued upward trend and it might be said
that, in general, prices latterly got out of control.
The following comparison of prices may be of interest:-
3ushire) ( ^.proximately).
I Yesd). (Approximately .
January 1943.
Tea Rials 36- per packet of 500 grammes.
Sugar Rials 1,350 per sack.
December 1943.
Rials 73-
Klals 3,700-
Large. • . •