تقارير إدارية من الخليج العربي ١٨٨٣/١٨٨٤ – ١٩٠٤/١٩٠٥ [و‎‎٢‎١‎٥] (٦٠٢/٤٣٤)

RESIDENCY AND MASK AT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR THE YEAR 1899-1800.
3
to plague measures in the hope of obtaining plunder for themselves. The
mob were dispersed by the Governor, who subsequently punished the leaders in
various ways; but there is some reason to think that he did not, at first, dis
courage the opposition to plague measures as strongly as he might have done,
as he was afraid that, if carried out, they might entail considerable cost to
himself. Preventive measures for keeping plague out of Bushire have been
throughout in hands of Captain E. Wickham Hore, I.M.S., who has done his
utmost to have them efficiently carried out, in accordance with the spirit of the
Venice Convention. A disinfector, with a disinfecting apparatus, has been
obtained from Bombay, but there has been considerable delay in its erection,
and, though it arrived at the end of September, it is not yet working. This
delay is partly due to the procrastinating habits of Persians, and the difficulty
in getting the Government to sanction the necessary expenditure, but it has
also been due to the views expressed by the Governor, who seemed doubtful,
at first, if its erection would not lead to further disturbances. The structure
on the quarantine island, where the machine will be worked, is now nearly
complete, and I am in hopes that it will shortly be in full use. In the mean
time, passengers' personal baggage has been disinfected, as far as possible, by
exposure to the sun and wind. Soon after preventive arrangements were
started here, we were asked by the Persian Government to quarantine cargoes,
and, though numerous representations have been made through the Legation,
pointing out that such a course is unnecessary, except in the case of susceptible
articles we have not up to the present been able to get the order withdrawn,
and all cargoes are kept under supervision till the full period of quarantine has
expired. This has, no doubt, been insisted on, as fees are levied from each
package, the collection being farmed out as is done with every similar impost in
Persia. The matter has repeatedly been brought to the notice of Her Majesty's
Minister at Tehran. Detention of arrivals at Bushire has caused a great deal
of inconvenience and hardship to Europeans, as the Persian Government made
no suitable arrangements for European passengers, who have been exposed, at
times, to the extremes of heat and cold with very insufficient protection. In
July, it was decided, under the orders of the Government of India, that it was
unnecessary to send 1st and 2nd class passengers, arriving by mail steamers,
to the island and that it would be sufficient if such passengers were merely
called on to present themselves daily for examination. The distinction between
1st class and 2nd class and deck passengers excited, however, some feeling
amongst the Persians, and in consequence of representations made to Her
Majesty's Representative at Tehran, the arrangement was allowed to lapse, all
passengers having to go to the Quarantine Station.
Currency.—1 regret to sa^ that nothing has been done to improve the
currency of Southern Persia which remains in the unsatisfactory condition
noticed in my report last year. The ee Bijecks " or notes issued by the Bushire
Trading Company, having partly been called in, there appears to be some
prospect of the Bushire Trading Company being eventually put an end to.
Arrangements of the Custom Jtlouse, —I reported last year the assumption
by the Imperial Bank of Persia of the management of the Bushire Customs
and the subsequent withdrawal of the Bank control in consequence of the
repayment by the Persian Government of the loan made by the Bank. Since
then the Customs have been farmed by the Darya Begi, who has sublet the
Hamal-Bashiship, or control of lighters and porters, to various individuals,
whose sole object has been to make as much as they can out of their conces
sion ; the result has been that complaints of thefts and pilferings have been
incessant, and it has been very difficult to obtain any satisfaction from the
Governor, whose creatures the Hamal-Bashis are. On the 21st of March
1900 the control of the Customs were taken under direct management, being
worked by Belgian officials serving under the Persian Government. It is
stated that they will not, at first, enhance the rate for native-owned goods,
or interfere with vested interests, and if this is the case, the new arrangements
may turn out satisfactory and increase the revenue of the Persian Government,
without exciting much opposition.
Settlement of Claims for Compensation, —I regret to report that, in spite
of incessant efforts, we have been able to do very little towards the settlement