'File 35/134 III (A 54) Sur: Ja`alan- Amirs of.' [‎47r] (109/426)

for his own, and at the end of the month pays intd Customs total
value in accordance with a schedule of variety values embodied
in his contract*
(V) Imports into Sur largely for Sharkiyah and Ja*alan
y
consist of rice, coffee, sugar, piece-goods and the usual
miscellaneous list of Arab wants* The manner of leak/t^is largely
as follows:
The dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. Captain-Cum-Shipper at the Indian port cook the
manifest. It is simple to show cargo destined entirely for Sur
to be sho^n only in part going there, the remaining half perhaps
marked down for Mukalla or some South Arabian port. The dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. on
arrival at Sur thus escapes proper appraisement: indeed for years
past Customs officials have from time to time been prevented
from boarding: they must accept manifest figures.
(VI) The difference of the proportionate Customs yield bet
ween Sur and Batinah is due to the fact that the former is dis
tinctly less under control than the latter, and if an attempt were
made to increase the Sur percentage up to the Batinah level it
would require force, ora threat of it, from H.M f s Government.
Perhaps some increase can be made, but this should be conducted
with caution and effected very slowly*
(VII) As regards the Customs personnel^ as a result of
complaints I sent a new appraiser to Sur some three weeks ago
under orders which virtually place him over the present M’amur.
The suggestion of the latter’s removal is one I suggest that wfrre 10
should jeaxfc await the return (expected almost at once) of the
Director General of Customs, Iskandar Effendi, from leave in
Egypt, as he himself has been stationed at Sur as M'amur, under
stands the individual motives of the locals who desire changes,
and has an intimate knowledge of his own staff, and the suitabilpCj
of this or that candidate as a M’amur*