Coll 30/9 'Persian Gulf: Administration Reports 1926-1938' [‎97v] (199/1028)

Games of all kinds still figure largely in the life of the school. A new
feature of interest this year was the production of the play in English of
Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice .
(ii) Girls' School.—Miss J. F. Woodroffe remained in charge of the
school throughout the year under review. The number of girl student^
steadily increased. iWith the discarding of the veil, the school company of
the Girl Guides has been revived.
(c) Medical. —Dr. G. E. Dodson, L.R.C.P., M.R.C.S., D.T.M., re
mained in charge of the hospital throughout the year.
During the year under report the general health of Kerman has been
good and no marked epidemics of disease occurred.
The work of medical mission continued satisfactorily during the }ear
with but one change in the European staff. There has been a marked in
crease in the work all round. The Welfare work was m abeyance in the
town after Miss Robinson went on furlough in April, and until Miss
Stratton’s return in October.. The welfare statistics therefore show a
noticeable decline.
{d) The Right Reverend Bishop W • J- Thompson, Bishop in Iran,
visited Kerman twice during the year.
6. The Anglo-lranian Oil Company, Limited. Aqayi Jalil Sohai re
mained in charge throughout the year. The business of the Company at
Kerman continued to increase in the absence of any foreign competition.
Another reason for the increase in question was that the supplies for the
Eastern Iranian markets were imported at Kerman via Bandar Abbas,
and then forwarded to Zahidan for distribution.,
Mr. E. Tevoit Ker, accompanied by Mr. G. N. T. Fergusson, who suc
ceeded him as the Company’s Manager for the Central Iranian Branch of
the Company at Isfahan, inspected the Company’s depots at Kerman, Bam
and Sirjan during April. During the year, Mr. Cox succeeded Mr. Fergus
son and was himself succeeded by Mr. Mitchell. Messrs. Cox and Mitchell
paid a similar visit in November.
A party of Anglo-lranian Company’s geologists from Bandar Abbas
passed through Kerman on their way to Isfahan, on 22nd November.
7. Carpet Trade, etc .—The following is a summary of the Kerman
carpet and tribal rug trade, with approximate values, exported to United
States of America and Europe during the year. The figures for the three
orecedin^ years are also shown. The value has been expressed in thousands
of Rials.
1933. 1934. 1935. 1936.
Kerman carpets and rugs . . . 11,540 11,751 9,545 9,704
Tribal rugs . ... 930 940 51 245
On the formation of the “Shirkat-i-Sihami-i-Farsh” (Carpet mono
polised company) at Kerman in June, a notice was given to all the indepen
dent carpet dealers, most of whom are Europeans and represent the Euro
pean and American firms abroad, that they may continue in their private
individual trade of this important industry until 20th March 1937, after
which all transactions would have to be conducted through the monopolised
company. This state of affairs gave a stimulus to the transitory revival of
this industry so much so, that prices rose 100 per cent, towards the last
quarter of the year.
8. Communications and security. — {a) Communications.
Sadri, the Rais-i-Turuq, was transferred in the same capacity to Shiraz in
April, handing over charge of his office to Aqayi Amiri who remained in
office throughout the remainder of the year.
The old roads were maintained throughout the year and traffic was
normal. A portion of road between Hajiabad and Gakhum on the Kerman-
Bandar Abbas road was washed away by heavy rain in the last week of