Coll 28/120 ‘Persia. Ahwaz – Consular diaries.’ [‎145r] (290/669)

considerable quantities of grain will be spoiled unless
transport to the Ahwaz silo can be provided* The British
military authorities have fortunately agreed to transport
400 ton* of grain from Wais to Ahwaz.
(31) Mr. Morton ?, Solomon, who hag now taken ov^r the
office of Director of Finance, hag found, a* might be expected,
that the general organisation of the department need* drastic
changes and the distribution of *ugar, tea, and cloth in
particular requires revision. He proposes to take the distri
bution out of the hands of the private merchants who formerly
retailed these goods—allegedly under the ’'supervision” of the
Economic Department—and to sell them in government shops* He
is also understood to have asked for the cancellation of the
monopoly of the tobacco syndicate whose profiteering is the
main current scandal in Ahwaz.
(22) A commission from the Ministry of Finance under Aghai
Behnia, head of the Department of Domains, and professor Winsor,
the American irrigation expert, hap finished ten days enquiries
at Hamidieh and Ahu Dapht. It is understood that a budget of
twelve or fourteen millicm will be recommended including capital
expenditure of about four million to enable the scheme to carry on.
V. Tribal—Bakhtiari .
(23) Colonel Hurnayuni is expected to return from Isfahan
with approved plans for the cleaning up of the Janeki country*
and Timur Khan Isfandiari, Morteza Quli’s representative in Iseh,
awaits Colonel Humayuni’s return in Ahwaz. Farajullah Khan
Kiani has been left behind ap a Kais-i-Intezamat in Izeh, where
Nader Quli, leader of the Bakhtiari tufangchis, is also paid
to be waiting for instructions. Timur’s very natural prejudice
against turning over outlaws to the Persian authorities does not
augur well for the sucess of the Janeki operations; Timur admitted
to H.i.l. Consul-General that he had been visited by the Arab outlay;
pc.sc. Jabbar and when asked why he had not arrested Jabbar made the
tD-w extraordinary statement that he had not realised who Jabbar was.
VI. Tribal--Kuhgilu .
(24) ^he roads have been quiet during the fortnight and
there have no major developments among the tribes though there
i has been a flood of conflicting rumour about the "recognition”
of Zargharnpur. Ali and Vali finally decided against throwing
in their lot on the side of the authorities and it is reported
that they have invited Khusrow and Qalb Ali to go to Cherorn
with a view to making their pease with Zargharnpur. Muzaffar
Khan Ariani is clearly perturbed by the development and hints
that his backers will probably accept the invitation but only
witil a view to securing the release of their wives who are now
in Zarghampur' s hands as well a* of securing the v/ithdrawal of
Zargham from Dil.
(25) Mohd Ali Khan Khalili—see para 19 of the diary for the
- half of September—has not, according to statements by
the landlord of Jaizun, carried out hip promise of returning
the rifles taken from the estate tufangchis and the property
looted from the villagers; Razavi says that only about a tenth
of the looted cattle and sheep and none of household property
taken has been returned. Razavi is doubtless somewhat embittered
as he has been forced to sign a bond undertaking within twenty
days to secure the return of the rifles taken from hi* tufangchis *
or^to forfeit Rials 60,000 to Colonel Ishqi. It is generally
believed .that the eight rifles in question are now in Khalili’s
hands and that the Persian authorities know this but, instead of
pressing for the return of the rifles, prefer that Razavi should
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