Coll 30/9 'Persian Gulf: Administration Reports 1926-1938' [‎185v] (375/1028)

Trade.
Bandar Abbas .—The entire trade during 1934-35 was far from satisfactory.
Tin? imports were greatly reduced specially owing to the embargo placed on
piece-goods and twist. As soon as the embargo was declared about July 1934,
the premium on import permits for these commodities went up by leaps and
bounds. Just a few days before this the import permit premium on piece-goods
was about 8 per cent, when it went up to 30 per cent, in less than a week. Later
on it rose to as much as 50 per cent. Also brisk buying up by certain capitalists
Iranian Firms of the stocks already lying in the bazar began almost immediately.
This, however, gave temporary relief to those merchants who had been losing
heavily on piece-goods. During the whole year, owing to constant fluctuations
in the price of export certificates, the piece-goods market remained unsteady.
The sole importing rights for piece-goods have been given by the Government to
the Iran Trading Co., Ltd., and no import permits for this commodity are now
given to individual merchants. So far no piece-goods have yet been imported
into Bandar Abbas by this Company, but it is heard that the principal piece-
goods merchants of Bandar Abbas have been advised by the responsible parties
to form a company which should purchase piece-goods from the Iran Trading
Co., Ltd., for the "entire Bandar Abbas market. In short the Bandar Abbas
Company will have to work as the sole selling Agents for the Iran Trading Com
pany. No definite steps have yet been taken here in this connection.
Cording and Spinning Mill. —Mr. Y. L. Khonji, an Iranian merchant, who
was trading in Bahrain and Bombay, bought a second-hand mill in Bombay in
1934 and installed it in the village called ‘ Khojita ’ a distance of about half a
mile from the Consulate. The buildings have been constructed without any
technical knowledge or plan on sand mounds. To erect this mill he engaged 8
millhands from Bombay on one year’s contract. In December 1934, Mr. Thomas
Bryan, Electric Engineer of Krupp Indian Trading Co., Ltd., Bombay, brought
a Diesial engine and started the mill on the 1st January 1935 and left for
Bombay on the 11th. The engine is of 300 h. p. and is now run by an Iranian
electrician.
The Indian Spinners instructed Mr. Khonji to import 30 or 40 Indian
labourers to start the work, but, under instructions from the Local Governor,
he refused to bring Indians, and compelled them to teach the .Iranians, which
they refused to do and so tendered 3 months’ notice to leave Bandar Abbas.
The Weaving Master has already left for Bombay on medical grounds and an
Englishman from Manchester on Rs. 600 p. m. has taken his place. Two bales
of (200 lbs. each) cotton is used every day of which a net loss of 120 lbs. (30
per cent.) per day is estimated, for want of skilled labourers and inferior cotton
from Rafsinjan. It is reported that samples of thread were distributed to mer
chants in the interior which were not appreciated. As Mr. Khonji was losing
heavily by employing unskilled Iranians, attempts were made to induce the
Indian spinners to sign a new agreement accepting spinners’ terms, increased
their salary by 15 per cent, and he sent one man to engage 30 Indians, notwith
standing the pressure brought on Mr. Khonji to substitute the foreign elements
by Iranians. It is expected that the Indian spinners will take up the production
of cotton yarns on a large scale on the arrival of men from Bombay.
Ling ah .—Trade is in the hands of a few who have ready money, and is
dwindling. Most of the people do business in rice and flour from Mohammerah
and the profit derived is said to be very trifling. The sales of foreign products
are very few and the most of the cargo imported is reshipped to Mohammerah
and Bandar Abbas.
A deputation of Lingah merchants arrived Bandar on the 13th February
1935 to interview the Minister of Finance, with a view to invite him to Lingah to
see the condition of the country, to decrease the Customs and other tariffs and
to grant them all facilities to improve the trade in Lingah, but unfortunately
the Minister left for Kerman the previous day. Nevertheless, they asked the
Minister’s permission by telegram if they could see him at Kerman to represent
their grievances, but were informed to send their petition to Tehran.
i Shipping and Navigation.
118 steamers of all nationality aggregating 250,170 tons entered and cleared
the port during the year 1934-35. Of these, 113 vessels with a total tonnage of
229,783 were under British Flag : 5 vessels of the German Hansa Line with a
total tonnage of 20,387 entered and cleared the port.