'Administration Reports 1920-1924' [‎135v] (275/412)

I
22 ANNUAL, EEFOBT OF TUB
of levying tolls would thus appear to have been proved. At the end of the
period under report the position was that no wheeled traffic was possible owing
to the damage done by the winter rains, that tolls were still being levied, and
that two European engineers were being employed between Bushire and
Kazarun to improve the bad corners on the passes (at a cost of some £2,000)
sufficiently to enable the Persian Government war material to be taken inland.
Further, an opium merchant, Shirazi by origin, naturalized British in Hongkong,
had offered to take up a concession to make the road and spend some £60,000
on it in three years ; and a Parsee firm in Bombay had sent to Bushire a number
of passenger motor-cars in anticipation of permission to run a service.
The interest of the Persian Government in improving this road is as much
to be desired for the benefit of foreign trade as for the internal needs of the
Government : but the point is that from a purely engineering outlook it cannot
be improved to benefit trade without a large sum of money being expended.
Already there is a movement of protest by Shiraz politicians against the first
railway being built from Muhammerah inland, instead of through Fars.
In another branch of communications—Posts and Telegraphs—similar pro
gress has not been shown, and the service from Bushire to Isfahan is now worse
than for several vears past. Under the new regulations by the United States ad
visers all receipts have to.be paid in to the local Bank for the credit of the Central
Administration ; but the remittances from Tehran for local expenditure are
neither regular nor sufficient. In consequence these services are starved and
function with difficnlty, wages of the staffs being constantly in arrears. From
Tanuarv 5th to 28th the Posting Contractor on the Shiraz-Istahan section struck
to forward mails, and in March 1924 still cla ms some 17 000
Tumans (£3,400) from the administration for arrears and accounts unpaid. Ihe
contractor from Bushire to Shiraz has also arrears due to him. Owing to orders
from Tehran that no more than 100 maunds (736 lbs.) o.. parcels were to be
forwarded at a time, from December 1923 to end of February 1924, parcels
accumulated in Bushire to the extent of 7 tons, in Shiraz 4 tons, and lay thoie.
Strong and repeated representations were made through His Majesty s Lega
tion both by the" 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. at Bushire and the Consulate at Shiraz, and the
accumulation was fairly well cleared by the beginning of March. This faulty
administration prejudiced the use of the postal service by traders for merchan-
dtTthe heater part of which was from Great Britain and India. Urgent repairs
to the telegraph buildings have also been denied the funds required.
Justice —Having commented on tbree Departments of the Government
which have shown considerable activity in the latter part of the period under
1923 ^iii 1 f ac^the^ p O^iti on coii^L^ydeSLrat^as 1 " the impoverished condition
jss-g g ZSsSigszXSZ
fesses his hands tied by the nee y ^ rds of a hundred individuals
cases. An informant receI1 ^ y Muitahid and sharing his devotions in order
were daily frequenting one leading ^^Xuned them. The Consulate, in
to have bis backing when t i-i, f „ ,]pceased Muslim registered
eager to extend pat«e to detodan^ hesiul te to suppress this
SXSriSI band of
In March and April 1924 a band ot the Consulate
attempt to seize and appropriatethe ^ undis p u ted joint ownership
garden has drawn its supply for the past 2 y^ strong remonstrance
with some 15 other gardens : 4uld probably
telegraphed by Hte Majesty s Appropriated, for one
have allowed the water-supply of the Cons people had succeeded
of his own servants had been bnbfed, and the same band ot peop
IB
lllo — ^ -
annexing another private supply*