'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency for the Years 1911-1914' [‎174v] (353/488)

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PEESIAN GULF ADMINISTRATION REPORT
CHAPTER VI.
ADMINISTRATION EEPOET FOE THE AHA BIST AN CONSULATE
EOR THE YEAH 1913.
Major L. B. H. Haworth, LA., held charge of the office of Consul through
out the year, Captain A. J. H. Grey bein®
His Majesty's Consulate. Vice-Consul at AhwaZ.
Ijlal-es-Sultaneh, who took over the appointment of Governor of Arabistan
during the previous year, continued a
local officials. feeble rule. He is a pleasant man but
weak, and typically Persian in his methods. He owed his continuance to the
joint support of the Shaikh of Mohammerah and the Bakhtiari Ilkhani The paramount chief of certain tribes in south west Iran. .
Ikram-ul-Mulk retained his post as Karguzar, which position is rather a
sinecure in Mohammerah.
The other various Persian appointments such as Eais-i-Zakhireh, Rais-i-
Adlieh, the Master of Ordnance and the Chief Magistrate were vacant during
the year.
Shaikh Chasib, Nusrat-ul-Mulk, the Shaikh's eldest son, was Governor
at Ahwaz and gave general dissatisfaction.
He is hopelessly extravagant, always in difficulties for money and conse
quently not too particular how he comes by it.
Under an arrangement made with the Governor by the Shaikh and
Sirdar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. -i-Jang, the Bakhtiari Ilkhani The paramount chief of certain tribes in south west Iran. , the Deputy Governorship of Dizful was
made a joint concern in charge of Imad-ed-Duftar, the Shaikh's representative,
and Kutb-es Saadat, the Bakhtiari Ilkhani The paramount chief of certain tribes in south west Iran. 's. The arrangement worked fairly
satisfactorily.
In August, Monsieur Fourman, the Director of Customs, was transferred
to Bandar Abbas, being relieved by
Customs. Monsieur Bouckaert, the Director from
Ahwaz.
Monsieur van den Abeele, a new arrival, relieved Monsieur Bouckaert
at Ahwaz.
Monsieur Bouckaert has continued the work of his predecessor in improY-
ing the Customs arrangements. He has opened regular registers in order to
supply the information demanded by this Consulate and attempts to control his
staff. The task is a difficult one since much of the work is necessarily in the
hands of Persians and the temptations to fraud in Mohammerah are great,
especially in the grain season.
This last indeed is the chief problem since a tradition of dishonesty seems
to have been set up among the employes of the Department in Mohammerah.
The point of interest to British firms is to put a stop to the wholesale smuggling
in the grain trade; in this smuggling the Germans are among the chief offenders
causing a severe handicap to the British purchasers who do not descend to sucn
measures.
The Customs officials receive a proportion of the proceeds and thus the
firms engaged in this work are enabled to save themselves as much as 25 per
cent, of the duties and are in a position to offer proportionately higher prices
for wheat and barley.
His Majesty's Consul, after consultation with the British Chamber of
Commerce, has demanded that the following two additional checks be added y
the Customs.
1. That all ships shall deposit copies of their manifests at the Customs
House for exports as well as imports.
2. That all Captains shall testify to the draft of their ship on arrival an
on departure.