'189 Trade Report of Bahrain Islands.' [‎174v] (350/756)

it is due to increase of smua'gling. Sugar also
showed a large decline—£23,271. Tissues of wool
also showed a considerable decline, this is proba
bly due to the prohibitive cost of such tissues now.
On the other hand the principal increases in
imports are matches, over £13,000, wood for
building over £8,000, loaf sugar over £36,000
drugs and medicines over £11,000, clothing over
£14,000, Tin lead, zinc etc., in bars over
£62,000 ; copper and nickel in bars over £21,000 ;
cotton yarns over £77,000 ; Tissues of cotton
over £78,000 ; Tissues not specified over £8,000 ;
Mercery and Haberdashery over £25,000 ; China
and earthenware over £14*,000 ; Glassware over
£23,0()0 ; manufactured tobacco over £17,000.
Most of these increases are due to the necessity
for making good stocks which could not be
replenished during the war. The increase in
“ Tissues of Cotton ” appear to be due to increa
sed price only, as about the usual quantity was
imported. The reason for the large increases in
Tin, Zinc, etc., and copper is not very clear unless
it is due to the import of electric light and tele
phone installations.
Export.
The export as mentioned above "increased by
£d22,50o. Of this the increase in exports to India
amounted to almost £ 288,000 as compared with
exports of 1918-19. Exports to the United
States of America increased by nearly £18,000,
to Japan by over £42,000, to Hongkong by over
£134,000, and to Bahrein by £38,000. On the !
other hand exports to Singapore decreased bv over
£41,000, to Mesopotamia by over £10,000 and to j
Oman by over £12,0o0.
The principal increases in exports were almond#,
pistachios, etc., over £19,000, turn Tragacanth ;
over £112,000, cotton raw over £14,000, carpets >
£ } 10.000, Tobacco unmanufactured over £55,000, i
skins £12,000. The only considerable decrease
was opium which, though showing an increase on
1918-19, declined by £66,000 on the average of
the previous two years.
CommuricatloD with Interior.
Owing to the presence of British Indian Troops
throughout the year the Bushire-Shiraa road was
practically safe, and m'otor convoys went along it
although parts were unfinished. The Bushire-
Borasjun Railway was opened for civil traffic
in May 1919, and helps to expedite cargo, though
as mentioned above it is too short|to be of very
much use. The safety of the road naturally assis
ted trade. This combined with the improved
state of Ears province undoubtedly helped the
export trade a great deal. Rates of mule hire
varied between £41 per ton in April and £15 per
ton in October
Rates for merchandise from Bushire to Borasjun
was £1-13-0 per ton. Many of the muleteers are
using the railway to carry the merchandise, which
they have contracted to transport to Shiraz, as far
as Borasjun, where it is transferred to mules.
This is a great convenience to the muleteers as
they can leave their mules at Borasjun instead of
having to bring them to Bushire and then send
them back to Borasjun on account of the lack of
grazing at the former place.
Exchange.
The rates of sterling exchange varied from
Krans 20‘69 to £1 in March 1920 to Krans 83 20
to £1 in August 1919, while rupee exchange
varied from Krans 207*45= R100 in April 1919 to
292*85 Krans=S100 in August 1919.
The average rates were Krans 28*83 = £1 Kran#
261-28 =R100.
The rate at which statistics on this report have
been calculated is Krans 26 to the pound.
* Rainfall.
The rainfall throughout Southern Persia in the
cold weather of 1919-20 was good if rather late,
and resulted in a good harvest in 1920, spoilt in
many parts by locusts. The harvest of 1919
was not a good one.
The rainfall at Bushire was 12T2 inches agai
nst 8*06 inches the previous year and an average
of 2*42 inches*
Public health.
There was no epidemic of plague or cholera in
Bushire or South Persia during the year, nor was
there any appreciable reorudence of influenza in
epidemic form, though sporadic cases occurred.
Freight.
The rate for general cargo was R30 per ton.
Throughout the greater part of the year practically
all shipments to London were by transhipment in
India; towards the end of the year some of the
direct steamers from England recommenced run
ning. The rates "or the principal commodities
were.
Almonds and Pistachios . £ 7per ton of 17 cwt.
Gum tragacanth . . £7-6-0 per ton 17 cwt.
Carpets ....
Opium .... £26 per ch«st of 160 lbs.