'Summary of correspondence relative to the administration of the Port of Basrah and measures for the control of the shipping traffic in Mesopotamia.' [‎14r] (27/134)

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Sub-Enclosure III.
APPENDIX C.
No. 77-A.-16.
Office of the Director-General of
Port Administration and River Conservancy,
53, Strand Road;
Basrah, 4th March 1916.
To the D. A. and Q. M. G.
Memorandum.
I feel I should be failing in my duty of assisting the Army Commander in
all matters connected with the port {vide letter No. H.-9859, dated 17th Decem
ber 1915, from the Secretary to the Government of India to my address), did
I not make the following remarks on traffic management.
2. What is known in a commercial port as traffic management comprises
all arrangements for the handling of goods from vessels arriving at the port
and their 5 delivery to consignees. For example if this port were ran on business
lines there would be a traffic ('.epartment which would make adecjuate airange-
ments for discharging ships with promptitude and would see that the goods so
discharged were delivered to the department to whom they were consigned.
The departments would be presided over by an officer experienced in the work
and with business habits and the work would proceed automatically.
3. From observations and personal experience I think it will be generally
admitted that at the present time the traffic management at the Port of Basrah
requires immediate reorganization and that the system whereby officers with no
experience in similar work are entrusted with these intricate operations is both
costly and unsatisfactory.
In another communication I have commented on the absolute lack of
system in the unloading of the S. S. " Havildar Custodian; police sergeant; jail or prison guard. " and I believe that example
could be multiplied many times.
4. I venture to express the opinion that efficiency will only be obtained by
organizing a separate traffic department and placing a man of experience at
the head O ot it and if the Army Commander will permit me I will gladly draft
a scheme for his consideration.
I may say there is no difficulty in the matter, it simply means substituting
methods with which I am familiar and which are used at ports all over the world
for the present crude but doubtless well meant efforts of amateurs.
(Sd.) Geo. C. BUCHANAN, Colonel,
Director General of Port Administration
and River Conservancy.
Demi-official.
General Headquarters, I. E. F. " D,"
Basrah, the 5th March 1916.
f
My dear Sir George,
• With reference to your official letter No. 77-A.-16, dated 4th March, I should
be very glad if you would kindly draw up a brief scheme of how you suggest
this question of unloading ocean ships should be dealt with. From the enclosed
letter you will see that the P. M. T. 0. has at length woke up to the fact that
all is not right. In fact, I think the much to be regretted return of your equip
ment, has, in reality, proved to be somewhat of a Godsend ; at any rate, it has
brought matters to a head, and some action must be taken as soon as possible to
put matters on a sound workable basis.
Personally, I have recognised that the unloading of ships for the past two
months has been in a very unsatisfactory state, in fact, I have had too much
personal ocular proof 1x) think otherwise.