"ملخص لشؤون الساحل الفارسي والجزر، ١٨٥٤-١٩٠٥، بقلم ج. أ. سالدانها، بكالوريوس القانون" [ظ‎‎٩‎٥] (٢١٢/١٩٠)

178
675- Availing itself of the prohibition which existed against the export of
Administration Report for 190.-02 p.ge. 1-2, provisions from Persia, the customs admi-
„ , , . „ , v „ nistration imposed in iqoi a 10 per cent.
External A., December 1902 Nos 10-12. . . r . ^ . '
duty on barley, wheat or rice and other
articles of provisions, not withstanding the fact that these may have paid the 5 per
Secret E., April 1902, Nos. 99-104. P ent - import duty. _ This duty was enforced
0 t n. .. m , i n the case of provisions sent off to British
Secret E., May 1903, Nos. 51-53. r . a, t- u
snips within Persian waters. At Lingah,
which is an important port of transhipment for the opposite coast of the Gulf, this
recent regulation was very unpopular and it was feared that the prosperity of the
place would suffer in consequence.
676. The port of Dilam was also taken over by the customs administration,
External A., July .902, Nns. 8.-83. bu , t I 1 vde f K han . Shaik of , Bandar
refused at first to hand over the control of
the customs at that port. A large number of Tangistani and Dashti tofanghis
was enlisted for the purpose, it was believed, of sending an expedition against
Bandar Rig. The Shaik of the place appears to have yielded in time.
677. A disturbance was expected at Bushire, about the middle of the year
SecretE,, May .903, No s . 88 96. ^ n0thin S OCCmved. H. M.
Secret e., June 1903, Nos. 94 -95. S - was warned to be ready to
proceed to the place in case of disturbance.
(xcix Levy of transhipment fees at Bushire, 1901.
678. The Resident at Bushire reported to Sir A. Hardinge in June 1901
Secret E, October .cot, No. .66. tliat 'J 16 Customs authorities at that port
were charging fees, which he estimated in
one case at 2^ per cent, ad valorem on the transhipment of goods from one
British vessel to another and contended that this was an infringement of the
provision by which no import duty in excess of 5 per cent, ad valorem could be
levied on our merchandise. He admitted, however, that in accordance with the
practice prevailing in Indian ports a small fee might reasonably be charged for
the time and labour of the customs officials in supervising the transhipment of
cargo.
679. Sir A. Hardinge discussed the question with M. Naus, who at first
strove to argue that as under the treaty of 1 urkomanchai there was no freedom of
transit in Persia, the Persian authorities might, if they pleased, levy the full 5
per cent.^ on goods brought in transhipment or transit into any Persian port. Sir
A. Hardinge pointed out that the usage of the past 60 years, not to speak of instruc
tions to the contrary issued on several occasions by the Persian Government, was
fatal to this contention, and M. Naus did not attempt seriously to defend.
Sir A. Hardinge ultimately agreed as a provisional arrangement to a fee of 2| shahis
(half the amount hitherto claimed) per package for the services of the customs
officials on the understanding that it would be levied in the case of the vessels of
all^ nations. M, Naus proposed eventually to introduce a regular scale based on
weight (Sir A. Hardinge to the Marquess of Lansdowne, dated the 19th Julv
1901).
680. The Government of India, on being consulted by the Secretary of State,
Secret e ., February 1902, Nos. 195.98. forwarded a statement ot transhipment
. . fees levied in Indian ports,, and expressed
the opinion that the rate provisionally agreed to was moderate though they
considered that it might be of advantage to fix a maximum fee of the equivalent
of 40 rupees, as in the Burma ports [Government of India (Revenue Department)
to Lord G. Hamilton, dated 24th October 1901].
681. The Board of Trade, in connection with certain suggestions made by
Colonel Kemball, thought that, though they could not make it a condition
that the proposed transhipment charges should be devoted to harbour inaprove-
ments, it would be desirable that the question of harbour improvements should
be borne in mind and urged on the Persian Government at the first favour-