Coll 28/41 ‘Persia. Trade Reports. Kerman 1924–’ [‎67v] (134/313)

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goods mostly in demand in the market. He paid a
visit to Rafsinjan, the chief cotton growing centre in
the province, wherq he made minute enquiries into
the different kinds of cotton produced in the area
and the methods of cultivation.
Some four dozen Japanese cycles were imported
into Kerman for the first time and sold at prices
ranging between Rials 225 and 300. So far as
quality goes, however, these machines have not been
popular in Kerman and unless the prices are reduced
still further they are not likely to find an extensive
sale.
The only competition, in any case, to be taken
into consideration at the present moment, and pro
bably for some time to come, is that of Japan.
(e) The Russians—their trading methods — popular
ity—success or failure. —With the closing down of the
Soviet Trade Representation in Kerman in Septem
ber 1932, followed by the winding up of the Vanish-
torg and Bureauperse concerns at Bandar Abbas in
April and June 1933 respectively, Russian trade
interests received a severe set-back in this part of
the country.
The prohibition against individual transactions
with the Russians held good until August 1933,
when a telegram w r as received by the Kerman
Chamber of Commerce from the Merchants’ Associa
tion at Tehran, intimating the latter’s desire
to resume business relations w r ith the Soviet trade
authorities, in response to the Central Govern
ment’s advice. This did not produce any material
effect, except in temporarily raising the prices of a
few items of export, such as raw wool, by more than
50 per cent, in anticipation of the Russian purchases
of these commodities being resumed. Incidentally,
however, there was hardly any direct business done
.with the Russians during the year so far as Kerman
province is concerned.
At the end of the period under report the stocks
of Russian kerosine in Kerman were reported to
have been completely exhausted, while as regards
petrol they were left with only 150 tins, most of
w T hich were said to have been damaged.
The Anglo-Persian Oil Company agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. in Kerman,
therefore, commanded the bulk of the market in
the above commodities, their sales of kerosine and
petrol amounting to seven and ten times respectively
those of the Russians.
For the time being therefore Russian competition
in Kerman may be put out of consideration.
(/) Credit offered by foreign firms as opposed to
those granted by British firms. —As pointed out in
previous reports, credit facilities offered by foreign
firms could hardly be expected to influence trade in
general under the existing circumstances. In certain
cases, however where, for instance, orders for machi
nery, such as wool carding and other plants are
concerned, credit allowed by the manufacturing
firms would appear to make a certain amount of
difference. The popular belief is that British firms
are not willing to allow credit. In one case, where
the question of ordering machinery for the extrac
tion of liquorice juice was contemplated, Swedish
and Czechoslovakian firms were preferred, because
of their willingness to collect the value by instal
ments.
(g) Popularity of foreign goods due to quality,
price, terms of payment, etc. —The chief reason why
Japanese cotton piece-goods have flooded the market,
at the cost of British and other goods, appears to ^
be their cheapness. Owing to the low cost of living
and the inability of the consumers to indulge in
anything expensive, cheap materials find a ready
sale, and the fact that more expensive goods may be
of better quality is usually lost sight of. Apart
from this, the Japanese traders are constantly
studying the market and produce w’hat they find to
be most in demand.
Germany still commands the bulk of business in
synthetic indigo, which has completely superseded
the natural product from India. The German
imports of synthetic indigo during the year were
about three times as much as the British imports,
and the German product still holds the reputation
of being superior in strength to the British product
and is therefore considered to be more economical.
Up to now the Germans had the advantage of a
commission agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for these goods in Kerman. In
the beginning of 1934, however, a representative
of the German concern of I. G. Farbenindustrie
Aktiengesellschaft from Tehran took over the
stocks of the German synthetic dyes from the Kerman
commission agent and the agreement between the
two parties was cancelled by mutual consent. Cus
tomers will therefore have to refer direct to the
German representatives in Tehran in connection with
the above products.
It remains to be seen whether business in the
import of British synthetic indigo will benefit by this
change.
At a meeting held by a number of leading mer
chants at the end of the period under review, when
the question of the importation of a new engine for
the Kerman electric light factory An East India Company trading post. was being dis- '
cussed, it w r as decided that "while in machinery the
British manufacturers were as a rule the best,
Germany was still leader in the manufacture of
engines.
The German Alizarin dyes continued to lose their
previous popularity and, except in a few cases,
especially where certain shades of green are required
in the manufacture of carpets, these dyes are no more
in demand.
(h) Opening for British goods. —The remarks made
under the above heading in last year’s Trade Report
still hold good and nothing of importance can be
added thereto.
(i) Over-trading. —The only over-trading has been
in the case of Japanese cotton piece-goods, of which
there was a certain amount of surplus stocks left in
the local market at the end of the year.
(ji) Commercial morality. —The commercial moral
ity in this town, which was already bad, has deterio-