'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf for the Year 1936' [‎8v] (16/74)

The measures taken by the Iranian authorities for the suppression of
the smuggling of contraband goods helped to discourage the smuggling of
sugar into Bushire town and certain parts of the district and perhaps in
Lingah town. The smuggling of contraband goods, such as imitation silk,
piecegoods, haberdashery and, in some instances, rifles and ammunition,
was successfully carried out through the Iranian ports and the goods were
taken to towns and cities in the interior via Farrashband and i ; irnzabad
(78 and 105 miles respectively east of Bushire) and also through Laristan.
The smugglers' caravans were protected by strong riflemen who in almost
all instances defeated the Amnieh (Road Guards) and inflicted losses on
them. Bv the end of the year the Amnieh had lost 20 men ^.nd they had,
in one instance only, succeeded in killing 9 of the smugglers riflemen and
wounding 2. In October it was decided, on account of their inefficiency and
corruption, to take the duty of suppressing smuggling from the Amnieh
authorities and to leave it in the hands of the Military authorities. The
total amount of contraband goods seized by the officials of the Customs
Preventive Department came to 1,438 packages of sugar, tea, tobacco,
matches and sundries, and 6 smugglers' dhows, 13 smugglers and Rials
14,800 in Iranian currency notes.
Roads and Communications.
1. Bnshire-Shiraz Road. —At the instance of His Excellency Amanul-
lah Ardelan, the Governor of Bushire, this road was inspected by the
Assistant to the Minister of Roads and m November a contract was given to
the Deka Company to build the Bushire-Borazjan portion of it.
2. The installation of the wireless transmitting set which was brought
to Bushire in May, 1935, was completed by a French engineer in the employ
of the Iranian Government in June 1936 when an engineer of the Royal
Dutch Air mail service (K. L. M.) found it to have been dangerously situ
ated for aeroplanes landing at the airport. He made a protest and the
set was removed to a spot H miles east of the aerodrome. In November 3
Iranian wireless officers arrived here and set zealously to work to carry out
the installation of two wireless masts and complete the station—their aim
being to prove the futility of the Iranian Government 's employing foreign
engineers for the purpose. Another wireless set with an engineer was
sent to J ask to complete a wireless station there. r
3 On the 15th July Captain Doulatshahi, an Iranian Aviation Officer,
arrived here and commenced levelling the landing ground to make it suitable
for Iranian aeroplanes, which it was said, would carry mails between
Tehran -Isfahan -Shiraz-Bushire from the 21st March 1937 Iranian air
postage stamps were brought and sold at the Post Office. In August two
Trannn aeroplanes, each carrying an officer and a mechanic, arrived here
on inspection duty and after seeing the landing ground went back to
Tehran About the same time the Post Office. Bushire, published a Notice
fn the local weekly the "Khalij-i-Iran" intimating that an air mad senoce
m the lQcai e , •• t d j n Iral , to carry mails, once a week between
Tdir^lifan ShSnshfre and twice a week tetween Tehran-Hama-
Tehran -lslanan . inauguration of the service, which
was'JroSd to be promulgated later on. remained unknown to the end of
1116 Chamber of -Having found his first suggestion for build-
- Tntor dhows to run between the Iranian ports unacceptable to the
mg ten ^ Fxcellency the Governor, Bushire, moved a resolution in
iperchancS ^ ce Bushire, to form a Steam Navigation Company
the Ghamber of C^merce^the ^ offered . to invest Rials
000 (CIS 500) in this new Company. The activities of the Chamber
nf (OTnnerce were confined to the formation of this Company ^ also
nnVher namely a branch of the Company for the sale of Motor Vehicles,
Tehran' at Bushire. None of these Companies, however, materialised by