"تقرير الإدارة عن المقيمية السياسية في الخليج الفارسي للأعوام ١٩١٥-١٩١٩" [ظ‎‎١‎٦‎٣] (٣٩٦/٣٣٣)

18 ANKtJAL BEPOET OF THE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY
Mr. J. L. Wright was in charge of operations at Kishm til), 13th August
when he was relieved by ivlr. fl. W. Tide, who lemained in charge at the
dose of the year.
{c) Branch of the Imperial Batik of Ptrsia.— ttr. W.J. d'Alton was
manager throughout the year. For the first few months of the year business
was brisk but after the evacuation by the Military the business was dull.
Mirza Ismail Khan remained as Einance Agent throughout the year. The
revenue for 1919 shows a great imnrovp.
Mal'yat Dep rtment. ment 0ver 1918j though ^ ^
Biyaban for the past three years has not yet been paid by Mir Barkat.
There is room for considerable improvement in this department and it is
to be hoped that under the new Anglo-Persian Agreement, steps will be taken
to appoint British officers to reorganise the whole of the Einance Department.
There is not the slightest doubt that with trustworthy Inspectors or
Directors the Maliyat and Opium Receipts would be almost doubled.
The local municipality continues to progress and is steadily adding to its
„ , ^ t, r , vr • • i f funds, which are being deposited in the
Ualadiyah. Local Municipality. T • i u i £ t* • i
Imperial Bank of Persia, Bandar Abbas.
No money can be withdrawn without the countersignature of His Majesty's
representative.
It is hoped that when sufficient funds have been collected to introduce
»ome substantial reform such as electric lighting for the streets and bazars.
It is also hoped that this will synchronise with any other reforms which may
be introduced in connection with the new agreement.
Sixty-two slaves applied for manumission during the year. Out of these
SIave8 fifty-one were manumitted, eight returned
to their masters and three cases were
awaiting settlement.
The agreement was generally well received, but all sections are rather
Angio-Pereian igremeM, impatient to see the results materialise,
one of the chief being the reorganisation
of the Customs Tariff and the establishment of roads and railways. The
publication of the terms, at once demonstrated the whole-hearted dislike by
one and all for the Belgian Customs officials. There was a general feeling of
rejoicing because it was calculated that one of the first results would be the
advent of British Customs officials into Persia.
The past year has been a bad one for the poorer section of the local
Ecouomic conditions. community, as prices generally have had
a tendency to soar higher than at any
previous time. This was partly due to scarcity of rain during the year, and
also to a very great extent to the fact that the export from India of most
essential articles of staple diet such as rice, wheat, and flour are only permitted
to a very limited degree under special license.
A pomparative list of prices is appended from which it will be seen that
the prices of the three most essential commodities have almost doubled
themselves since last year.
G. A. G. M un GAVIN,*
Assistant Resident and Sis Majesty*s Consul,
Bandar Ahhas*