'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency for the Years 1915-1919' [‎180v] (367/396)

52 ANNUAL EEPORT ON THE PERSIAN GTJLP POLITICAL RESIDENCY An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. ^
destination, intact i£ indeed any portion of the sums collected survived the
constant demands made by avaricious officials.
Surai-ul -Mulk came breathing reform but his stay was short but from
his point of view exceedingly sweet. He departed to Bombay with some
thirteen thousand rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. wherewith to purchase ledgers, etc., but returned after
a presumably eKhilarating stay in India, with a revolving chair and a dozen
rubber stamps. He shortly after, on a plea of sickness, departed for Teheran.
It was onlv after his departure that I was enabled to turn my serious attention
to the question of increasing revenue receipts without increasing the demand,
with the ohiect in view of reducing the expenditure of His Majesty s Govern
ment in Arahistan. The War was over and the necessity of securing our
rieht flank no longer of that paramount importance that made the quasi-
occupation of Arahistan a matter of necessity. It is true that I had no autho-
ritv to interfere with the revenue arrangements of a neutral country,
but it was felt that inasmuch as revenue demands were met entirely by the
pressure of the Political Officer, it was unobjectionable for him if, indeed, not
incumbent on him to see that receipts reached the rersian Government as
intact as possible. I found very considerable leakage under the head of indirect
taxation as it did not appear to he politically sound to insist on the dismissal
of dishonest personnel, which would have meant the disruption of the whole
department, I had recourse to farming. This, too, was a matter of some diffi-
oulty as Mustaufl had, with the connivance of Suraj-ul-Mu k taken over
through various members of his family, all the more profitable sources of
revenue. Slight friction between Mustaufi and another member of the Revenue
Department, to whom he had leased the Nawaqil, gave me the opportunity for
which I was waiting. The result has been that receipts from indirect taxation
have nearly doubled, and I found myself in a position to propose that the
Persian Government take over the payment of subsidies to tribes that should
actually as well as nominally be controlled by the^ Governor-General 01 Arabis-
tan It is calculated that with efficient supervision the results of indirect
taxation should be sufficient to meet the larger portion of the Governor-
General's Budget. Direct taxation receipts are also excellent, a hint that
landlords who did not promptly pay revenue demands would not be entitled
to protection against raids being sufficient to guarantee immediate payment.
A book of classes paying revenue was compiled in English and Tersian, and
revenue under this head shows a most satisfying increase.
The lately-arrived Rais of Maliyeh. Muaziz-ul-Mulk, seems energetic and
honest and is* really trying to establish order amongst his subordinates I
anticipate that the improvement in revenue will mean a saying to His Majesty s
Government of approximately £5,000 a year, nor do I anticipate any reduction
in Eritish prestige, as subsidies will, as heretofore be paid through the Political
Office though the source of payment will be Persian.
Trade. —Trade has generally flourished in Dizful and Shushtar, though the
variations in exchange have had their effect here as in other places. I was able,
through experimenting with a Dizful loom, to introduce to the notice ot the
Mesopotamia Corporation a tweed very similar to Scotch and Irish homespun.
The Corporation have taken the tweed up commercially and have placed an
initial order of 1,200 yards.
The principal trade in Dizful and Shushtar is in piece-good, sugar of the
loaf and ordinary kind, and tea. Dizful supplies Luristan, and bnusn ar
Bakhtiari.
The Bizful Bridge Company has declared a half-yearly dividend of 1 per
cent, on ordinary shares, British Government shares being paid as preteren
shares at 7 per cent. With the proviso that no serious disaster beraiis ^
Bridge, it should prove to be a highly remunerative measure both politic ^
and financially.
The Dizful Motor Company, plying between Ahwaz and Shush, and waz
and Basrah has a fleet of seven cars, and is making fair progress though a
of good drivers rather ten^to increase expenses. .
General. —The political tone is eminently satisfactory, and the news of t e
new treaty was received with undisguised satisfaction. Relations with