Coll 30/9 'Persian Gulf: Administration Reports 1926-1938' [‎230v] (465/1028)

32
It will be noticed that there was an increase in the case of Kerman cam f
Compared with the previous year, of nearly three million Rials, due, as menti 6 8 i
elsewhere, to an increased demand from New York in the early summer anlt
the fact that the goods exported were on a whole of a higher quality than i
and, therefore, more expensive. ^
The amount of tribals exported, on the other hand, show’s a decrease nf i
270,000. ' ' Klals ’
The total amount of exports in Kerman and tribal goods during the ye
therefore, improved by just over 24 million Rials, which considering the deDres^
ed condition of trade in general and the fall in the dollar is more than could b
expected.
At the end of the year, however, the market continued to be quiet a 1
the outlook for the carpet industry, which is at present greatly bound up’with
the financial situation in New York, the chief buying centre, and on the improve
ment of wdiich the prosperity of this province depends, was very uncertain
As regards the technical side of the industry, marked improvements have
been effected in the actual weaving, chiefly as the result of a better quality of
woollen yarn produced by carding machines during the last tw^o or three years
but the standard of design and colour combination has on the w T hole. deteriorat
ed in recent years.
a
Spinning Mill Project .—The idea of impertina spinning mill for Kerman for
the local manufacture of cotton yarn, introduced by Lieutenant-Colonel E. W C
Noel in 1930 and followed up by the local authorities in 1931, fell through in the
early part of the year, due to the inability of the Kerman share-holders to raise
the full amount of the capital required and as the result of representations made
to Tehan, orders were received for the re-inbursement to the share-holders of
the first instalment paid by them into the Persian National Bank more than a
year before.
Eventually, however, ITis Excellency Kazimi, the then Governor-General
induced such share-holders as belonged to the Kerman towm to agree to the
utilisation of the money already paid in for the formation of a company, with
the object, among other things, of importing a wool carding machine for the
improvement of the cloth weaving industry in Kerman. The Rafsinjan share
holders, who were only interested in the cotton industry, refused to join in the
new project and withdrew their shares, vdiich they said they required for start
ing a company of their own.
The funds available in Kerman, therefore, amounted to between Rials,
50,000 and 60,000, which wms to be raised bv further subscription to Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value.
100 , 000 .
The new company was eventually formed in June, but no further subscript
tions were forthcoming. On the contrary, several share-holders disposed of
their shares in the local market at a substantial discount.
A contract for the purchase of a "wool carding machine v T as, however, con
cluded in Tehran early in October with certain German firms, who undertook to
have the machinery delivered at Bandar Abbas within a period of three months,
at a total cost of Rials. 180,000 and a Russian Engineer in the employment of
the German firms concerned paid a visit to Kerman in November to supervise
the building operations on Ihe site purchased for the erection of the plant.
The work of building this factory An East India Company trading post. on a somewhat elaborate Scale is progressing
at the time of writing.
It is doubtful what advantages will be gained bv the importation of this
plant, especially in view of the fact that there are alreadv two wool carding
plants in Kerman, one, a British made 20 h,p. machine, belonging to Messrs.
The Oriental Carpet Manufacturers, Ltd., a British concern, and the other, a
10 h.p. machine, imported from Germany in 1932 bv one of the principal carpet
weavers in Kerman. The new 7 machine wull be a 30 h.p. one.
It may be of interest to mention here that the Shah has apparently still the
question of a cotton spinning mill in Kerman in mind, as H, I. M. in an inter
view 7 with the present Governor-General, while the latter w 7 as taking his leave
at the end of August last, made special reference to the question of cotton yarn,
for which there w 7 as a great demand in this province, and regretted the f&ct that,
in spite of Kerman being one of the chief cotton growing centres in Persia,
cotton yarn w 7 as still being imported into the province from abroad.