مجموعة ٨/٢٨ "بلاد فارس؛ اليوميات؛ سيستان وكاين، أبريل ١٩٢٧ – ١٩٣٣" [ظ‎‎٢‎٩] (٤٣٤/٦٩)

2
Commanding Officer. Dysentery is preva
lent among the troops.
4 . Persian Military Affairs .—It is pro
posed to move the Conscription Office
from Zabul to Kwash in the near future.
Enquiries are being made as to whether
conscripts can be found who will main
tain their own camels. 100 men are re
quired for the Camel-Corps in the Sarhad.
Pay amounting to Rials 57 • 50 is offered
for a man with a Camel, or Rials 37-50
if the camel be supplied by the Covern-
ment.
Sartip Mahomed Khan, late Military
Oovernor in the Sarhad left Zahidan for
Tehran <on .June 8 th. Neither m Kwash
nor in Zahidan did any of his late Com
mand see him off. Sarhang Mukhtan left
Zahidan for Kwash on 4th to continue
enquiries regarding the disposal of Govern
ment arms which took place last year. He
is said to have stated that he found no
direct evidence against the late G. (X C.
but Iskander Khan, his Brother-in-Law
had disposed of the arms and doubtless
shared the proceeds.
The wireless outfit which had been sent
to Kwash for use during the operations
against Remishk, has bem removed and
the Operator has returned to Tehran.
5 . Persian Officials .—The Minister of
Justice was expected in Zahidan in con
nection with the Customs frauds. Some
thing must have discouraged him from un-
d rtaking this weary journey, for on arriv
al at Birjand he busied himself in en
quiring into the working of the local Court
and the Excise (Opium) Department,
both of which are notoriously corrupt.
After placing practically all the officials
concerned under arrest, the Minister sped
away to Meshed. In taking this decision
he showed acumen, for had he proceeded to
Zahidan and had he prosecuted careful
enquiries there, it would probably have
been necessary to place under arrest the
majority of the officials not excepting
the Special Inspectors.
6 . Miscellaneous News .—The desire of
the Persian Government to collect photos
appears to be insatiable. At Zabul all
officials have been required to complete
various forms to which photos are attachedj
The school children appearing for their
final examinations are required to pro
duce three photos. The Reisd-Sulhieh
(Peace Court. Judge); of Zabul has been
sent to Zahidan to join in the merry hunt
which is proceeding to track the defrauders
of the Customs. Meanwhile there is no
Court in Zabul.
The National Bank at Zabul is pressing
notes on- the public. The notes are not U,
readily accepted outside the town and it
is difficult to obtain silver. The Banlf
is charging 10 per cent, discount on Im
perial Bank of Persia Notes, while in.
the bazaar merchants are charging a com
mission for cashing the new National 1
Bank notes.
The Revenue Office, Zabul, has notified
the public that all contracts of ten thous
and Tomans or over must be registered 5
at the Revenue Office and are liable to a
tax of 10 per cent.
Contracts for lesser sums are to be regis
tered in the Adlieh Office at rates not yet
fixed.
A meeting was held at Zahidan Revenue
Office on 8 th at which the Government
conversion rates for Revenue grain were
announced as follows :—*
Wheat 1 st quality Rials 55 per Kharvar
(1,300 lbs.)
Wheat Medium quality Rials 50 per
Kharvar (1,300 lbs.)
Wheat Poor quality Rials 45 per
Kharvar (1,300 lbs.)
On June 3 rd at Zabul the Police raided a
house and discovered dies, etc., for illicit
coining of Rials. 343 false coins were com
fiscated. On the 4th further dies were
found in another house. A Meshedi who
was under arrest in this connection escaped
from custody and has not yet been ap
prehended.
The National Bank at Zahidan ran short
of cash towards the end of the month.
The Manager was placed in the humiliating
position of having to call on his clients and
request them not to draw cheques. To
meet cheques already presented he had to
resort to borrowing in the bazaar. Later
money was received from Meshed.
The confidence of the public was shaken
and various rumours resulted.—The Na
tional Bank was shortly to be closed—all
German Officials were about to be replaced
by Swiss, etc.
The smuggling.of Silver from Zahidan to
India continues. It is estimated that one
hundred thousand Krans reached Kundi
in one week.
Many of the shop-keepers in Birjand have
ceased to sell sugar. Both Russian sugar
and Java sugar can be purchased cheaply
in the villages as smuggling is regularly
carried on all along the border of East
Persia.