'Administration Reports 1925-1930' [‎83r] (170/418)

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hardworking, in a plodding rather than a brilliant way, and keen on effecting
improvements, he has had a noticeable effect upon the spirit of all the leading
men and officials in the Town, who now share some of his enthusiasm and
hopefulness.
His attitude towards this Consulate has been most friendly and helpful.
Finance Department, —Mr. P. J. Fitzsimmons remained in charge of the
Finance Department during the year. His assistant, Mirza Humayun Khan
' Sayyah ', on whom he was absolutely dependant, was transferred in August
and this, together with the manner of Dr. Millspaugh's departure, destroyed
most of Mr. Fitzsimmons' interest in his work. The new Assistant Mirza
Hasan Khan 4 Nasir ' arrived in October. He appears to be honest and able.
By his accessibility Mr. Fitzsimmons has reduced the corruption which
was formerly so notorious in this department, to a fraction of what it was.
The fact, however, that he has not learnt a word of Persian or moved a yard
out of Kerman Town (except for one visit in his own interests to Teheran)
during the 2J years he has been here cannot but have hampered his efforts
to make the department really efficient.
Opium.— M y , Fitzsimmons has given up hope of achieving any appreciable
reduction in smuggling which continues on the scale mentioned in last year's
report. Government loses some 4,000,000 Krans revenue per annum, a sum
equivalent to about the third of the opium revenue for the whole of Persia.
Survey, —The revenue survey of the Province was stopped in March after
only two districts had been completed. The new assessment has been brought
into force only where it is higher than the old assessment.
Karguzari. —Mirza Asadullah Khan ' Daoodi' was Karguzar from the
beginning of the year till he handed over to the Governor-General in August
on the abolition of his office. His attitude towards the Consulate was helpful,
and he handled the cases with reasonable despatch. He was not free from the
taint of unobtrusive bribery.
Police, —Naib Sarhang Ibrahim Khan ' Sheriff ' came to Kerman as
Rais-i-Nazmieh in March. He has spent a considerable portion of the rest
of the year in Tehran trying to secure his transfer from Kerman to Shir a z
or Tehran. He affects European society and is more interested in that and
in trade (motor cars. Cameras, wireless, etc.) than in his profession.
Naib Asadullah Khan of the ' Nawabi' family of Shiraz, who was sent
here in August, has been acting for him satisfactorily during his absence.
The Police appear to be incompetent at detecting crime no doubt because
it pays them to be so.
Justice. —Having determined to attempt some reform in the Courts of
Justice the Persian Government, in its usual Gilbertian manner, closed the
4 Adlieh' courts in March beforejthey had made any alternative arrangements
for the administration of justice.
Apart from certain comparatively unimportant changes in the number
of ' A'za ' attached to the Istinaff and Bedayat courts and some speeding up
in procedure it is understood that the new judicial administration will differ
little from the old. The improvement in the pay of the judges is hardly
sufficient to remove the temptation to bribery which has been the curse of
this department, and many of the new men appointed are without judicial
experience or are even, in some cases, of questionable integrity.
Education. —Sayyid Tajuddin Khan ' Nahi' remained in charge
of this department till September. His successor Mirza Hasan Khan ' Jowdat'
from Teheran arrived on December 4th.
Sayyid Tajuddin Khan's attempt to cleanse the Augean stables of the
Auqaf department brought him up against powerful vested interests which
secured his transfer.
The attempt to introduce education into Persian Baluchistan, mentioned
in last year's report, has for the moment failed. After some months trial
Dost Muhammad Khan on various pretexts declined to allow the school
masters sent by the Rais-i-Muarif to continue their work and demanded other
individuals more to his liking.
M410(o) F&PD