"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الجزء II. ج. ج. لوريمر. ١٩١٥" [‎٢‎٦‎١‎٢] (١٢٦٢/١١٢٩)

2612
Inconve
nience in
regard to
gnppliea for
British
Government
vesBels
1902-07.
not since recovered; and the prosperity of Lingeli was, in 1907, still
declining'. The transit trade of Lingeh has now, in a large measure,
passed to Dibai, notwithstanding the inferiority of both the climate
and anchorage there, and the transference bids fair to be permanent;
indeed Dibai may even be said to have become the port of transhipment—
by smugglers—for Lingeh itself.
The rules relating to the transhipment and exportation of provision
have been a cause of some inconvenience to ships of the Royal N avy
and Royal Indian Marine.
Since July 1902 duty at one per cent, ad valorem has been charged
on coal placed on board ship from depots on shore. No import duty
being levied on coal, this tax is regarded by the Imperial Customs as
one on transhipment rather than on re-exportation.
In December 1901 the Customs at Bushehr began, contrary to old-
established usage, to levy a duty of 5 per cent, on all goods sent from
shore on board British men-of-war in the harbour ; many of these, being
supplies imported from India, had already paid duty at 5 per cent. In
March 1902 the rate was raised to 10 per cent.; and in November 1902,
this duty of 10 per cent, on other supplies being still maintained, one of
20 per cent, was placed on livestock for ships. At length it appeared
that these duties, were claimed not by way of customs, but as a a taxe de
dispense " or the price of exemption from the prohibition—at this time
almost permanent—against the exportation of food stuffs and livestock
from Persia. The innovation was contested, without success, during
1903, and in 1904* the " taxe de dispense" was regularly established,
its amount being fixed at 10 per cent, on both cattle and cereals; ^ but
the rightfulness of the charge has not been admitted by the British
Government, and correspondence on the subject still continues (1907).
In June 1903 customs duty was claimed for the first time on
rations imported from India for the British military detachment at
Jashk, and has since been paid under protest both there and at Chahbar;
a refund has, however, been claimed by the British political authorities,
^nd the matter is not yet settled (1907).
The British. Government and the Customs of Southern Persia.
Britiah
connection
with the
Cnstoms ol
Southern
Persia.
Of greater importance however, at least to the British Government,
than the administrative success or failure of the reorganisation of the
Persian Customs is the question whether those of the Gulf are liable
to be hypothecated to a European power in return for a loan; and the
position in this respect must now be stated.
Great Britain has always possessed a special interest in the custom
of Southern Persia; a loan of £500,000, raised in London in 1892,
to enable the Persian Government to pay off compensation payable to the
(British) Imperial Tobacco Corporation on account of the concellation
of their concession, was secured upon them, and for that reason bore
interest at the favourable rate of 6 per cent.; while, as we have seen, a