'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf for the Year 1936' [‎8r] (15/74)

3
Customs Preventive Department. —Having found the Customs Guards
force inefficient for the suppression of the smuggling of contraband goods
the Iranian Government discharged most of them and amalgamated the rest
with the Amnieh (Road Guard) force which they thought were more etficient
and better disciplined.
Besides silver coins and gold ornaments which smugglers took out of
the country, they took away Iranian currency notes for the purchase of their
requirements of foreign exchange, as a result of which a quantity of Irani
an currency notes collected on the Arab side of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . The
Iranian Government prohibited the importation of these into the country
and took steps, throucrh the Banks, to collect all the silver currency which
was in circulation. They met with little success, however, as most of the
currency notes found their way back into the country.
Govrenment measures for discouraging the smuggling of contraband goods.
1. Sugar Com/pany. —This Company which was formed last year conti
nued selling loaf and crystal sugar for public consumption in Bushire and
district. The Tangistanis, however, discontinued their purchases of sugar
in May and the Sugar Company was unable to compete with smugglers who
supplied the Tangistan market with these articles to the end of the year.
2. Tea Company. —On the 1st October, at the instance of the Governor,
a Company was formed by the local merchants for the sale of Iranian Gov
ernment monopoly tea. The capital of the Company was fixed at Rials
500,000 (£6,250), of which 25 per cent, was paid by the Sugar Company
and the balance by those of the local merchants and traders who were for
merly dealing in tea.
The Company, however, was not supplied with tea up to the end of
the year under reference.
3. Company for the sale of Piecegoods. —This Company which was
formed last year remained inactive the whole year through as it was not
supplied with any piecegoods up to the end of the year.
4. Monopolisation of Wheat supplies. —In September the Revenue De
partment, Bushire, notified that the sale and purchase of wheat supplies
had been made a Government monopoly and began buying wheat from the
peasantry at the following prices :—
Ist Class at Rials 130 per 315 kilos. (£1 125. 6d. per 6 cwts. 98 lbs.).
2nd Class at Rials 120 per 315 kilos. (£1 lOs. Od. per 6 cwts. 98 lbs.).
3rd Class at Rials 110 per 315 kilos. (£1 7^. (kZ, per 6 cwts. 98 .lbs.).
4th Class at Rials 100 per 315 kilos. (£1 55. Od. per 6 cwts. 98 lbs.)
They classified the wheat as 1st and 2nd Class and sold it at Rials 145
(£1-16-3) and Rials 125 (£1-11-3) respectively per 315 kilos.
5. Monopolisation of Araq (local liquor). —On the 28th October the
Revenue Department took possession of the available stocks of Araq and
began selling it at Rials 6 {Ish. 6 d-) a bottle as against Rials 9 {\sh. 9d.)
as sold previously by the Jews.
6. Monopolisation of Tobacco. —In the beginning of December the
Revenue Department declared that the sale and purchase of tobacco had
been made a Government monopoly and commenced buying tobacco from
stockholders and opened two shops to sell the article at Rials 2-50 {7\d.)
a lb.
7. Prohibition of the cultivation of Opium. —During the year under
review 7 the Revenue Department posted a Notice in the Town and district
that the cultivation of poppies for producing opium was prohibited and
raised the banderole tax on opium making the price of a misqual (1/lGth
oz.) of opium Rials 2 in order to make it prohibitive for opium smolccTs
and opium eaters and so force them to abandon the habit.