"تقارير إدارية ١٩٢٠-١٩٢٤" [و‎‎١‎٣‎٣] (٤١٢/٢٧٠)

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persian gulp political eesldefcy ; 1923. 17
The expenditure and remittances ascertained were as follows :—
1921-22 1922-23 1923-24 (11 months.
Ts. Ts. Ts.
Indirect Taxation Department,
salaries, etc., and remit
tances
86,346
22,197
Nawaqil, do. do.
Provincial Civil Administra
tion, salaries and ex-
P 6 " 808 *• 220,837 98,000
Provision for Army, (supplied
direct by Tehran in
1923-24) .. .. 237,523
Remittances to Ministry of
Finance, Tehran .. 118,401 138,000
Total »• • • 633,727 396,043
E conomic considerations.
A study of the economic situation and needs of Fars is being separately
Bubmittedr and m this despatch only brief comm-ent is made as regards the year
19^3-_;4. The situation of trade in Shiraz and other towns has been increasingly
unhealthy during the past months. Speculation in the boom, which so soon
cracked in 1919-20, not only .reduced the small capital of most Persian traders
in r ars to the lowest dimensions, and in some cases rendered them practically
insolvent, but the fall in prices landed them in heavy loss on the stocks they still
hold. Sales still proceed at a loss on a generally falling market, and to keep
themselves afloat they give further orders, only to sell again at a loss. Eeady
money has been uncommon in dealings, and paper commitments unreliable, and
paid at long date. ^ For the first nine months of 1923 heavy dealings in opium, at
extremely high prices, while relieving the pressure on landowners and benefit-
ing peasant cultivators, ultimately plunged the leading dealers into serious em
barrassment, because the Far Eastern market refused to pay the high price of
1922-23 and left the Shirazi merchants with large quantities of chests, still
unsold. Following this there has been a reckless sowing of opium in the late
autumn of 1923, to an unprecedented extent, owing to the hope of cultivators
and landowners throughout the province to obtain once more the high local
prices of 1922-23. If the crop is as large as expected the holders of chests of
the 3923 crop must be faced with losses which will further shake credit in Shiraz.
Incidentally the opium operations of 1923, in the drawings in rupees for financ
ing purchase, have adversely affected the sterling exchange. With the bazaar
so lifeless for months together, and business in cottons and sugar so unprosper-
ous, there is considerable pessimism among traders as to the future : indeed
some observers apprehend that if restriction of the trade is enforced in the Far
East by the League of Nations a crash will follow in the bazaars of Shiraz anfl
other places in Persia. Local politicians are preaching the encouragement of
exports and economic development by the Government. Some trials are being
made by a handful of landowners of American and Iraq cotton seed. The rain
fall of the winter of 1923-24 was exceptionally heavy, and favourable to agri
culture.
G overnors -G eneral, and various events in S hiraz.
When the period under survey opened at the end of May 1923 Prince Sarim-
ud-Douleh was Governor-General, having held the post since December 1922,
and the counting of votes for the elections to the fifth Majlis was almost com
plete. There can be little doubt that from beginning to end votes were not only
bought and sold from peasantry brought in for the purpose, but that manv of
those in the ballot-box (for the election went on for a month or two) were
changed for others according to the panel chosen for election first by the
Governor-General and later by the military administration. The number of
candidates ran, into several hundreds. The outlying districts voted chiefly
according to the ' returning officers for the peasantry took no interest in the
proceedings. Unfortunately for the Governor-General he quarrelled in June
with the military commander over a change in the panel of official nominees
desired by the latter : and certain disappointed elements in Shiraz took the
extreme step on July 1st of pouring petrol into the ballot-box, putting to flight the
1 returning officers ' by a discharge of firearms, and then going into sanctuary
( u bast ") at the Persian Telegraph Office with their supporters, as a demons
tration against the Governor-General. Sarim-ud-Douleh accused the Military
LcGlPD