'Mesopotamia' [‎65v] (130/152)

120
ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
I ersian C ompany provided more than 50 per cent, of
the country's requirements.
Coal. —The coal imported is chiefly Welsh, but a
little comes sometimes from India. The burning of
bricks for the Hindie barrage led to a largely increased
consumption in 1910 and 1911, and the increase of
river launches and establishment of arsenal stores also
led to an increased demand.
Rice is imported wholly from India. In 1909 the
Mesopotamian rice crop failed, and a much larger
quantity \\as imported than in the preceding year.
The quantity imported has remained high, in spite of
a large increase of export in the succeeding years. In
1913 another and more complete failure of the rice
crop led to an abnormally large import. The export
of rice and paddy is usually largely in excess of the
import.
Cofjee. An average of 15,000 bags is annually im
ported, at an average cost of £53,000. The price has
risen considerably of late years. A good deal is now
exported to Persia, but Persian and Kurdish troubles
checked this in 1913. Indian coffee has been com
pletely driven out of the market by the cheaper
Brazilian brand, which was imported in great quan
tities, largely through Great Britain. A little coffee
was also obtained From Germany and Arabia, and
Germany also supplied some Brazilian brands. Coffee
is slowly being supplanted in favour of tea.
Indigo. —The value of the average annual import for
the last eight years was £20,000, but the trade has
steadily decreased, that for 1906 amounting in value
to £24,000. and that for 1913 to £15,000. All is
imported from India, chiefly for Baghdad. The
natives are beginning to prefer printed European goods
to the cloths dyed at Baghdad, and synthetic dyes im
ported from Germany proved to be cheaper than indigo.
Aniline dyes were also imported directly and in
directly from Germany, and had entirely supplanted
madder, which was formerly imported from Persia.