'Lighting and Buoying of the Persian Gulf, 1908-1928' [‎50r] (3/6)

15. The last five years have been too much taken up with administrative
and financial readjustments to permit of any extensive developments in the
service. The most pressing needs at the moment, however, are said to be
the replacement of the light vessel oiT Kais Island and the establishment
of a lighthouse at Ras-al-Hadd. The desirability of the latter has been
represented on several occasions by individual merchant ships and by the
Merchant Service Guild.
III.—Administration and Finance.
16. The question of raising light dues from vessels using the Gulf, to
pay for the maintenance of the service, was considered before the war.
But it was decided that such a course would be impossible “ without the
consent of the Powers whose flags are flown by the vessels navigating
the Gulf, and such consent would not be forthcoming except on-conditions
implying that very international control which it is the aim of His Majesty’s
Government to exclude.” The whole cost of the service (about £30,000 to
£40,000 a year) was therefore borne in equal shares by Imperial and Indian
revenues, all fresh expenditure exceeding £100 requiring the prior sanction
of His Majesty’s Government. Subject to this control, the Government of
India were responsible for administration; during the period (1912-4) of
reconstruction the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. was ex-officio “ Inspector of Lights,”
with the Commander of R. f.M.S. Lawrence as Assistant Inspector. In 1915
the inspectorship was transferred to the Director of the Royal Indian Marine,
who, under the Government of India, was thenceforth responsible for the
maintenance of the Service. The commander of the tender remained
Assistant Inspector of Lights, and was expected to consult the Political
Resident on all political matters in connection with the lights.
17. After the war, with the elimination of Turkish and German interests
in the Gulf, His Majesty’s Government were anxious to divest themselves
of financial commitments, and in 1923 an inter-departmental conference
recommended that light dues should be levied at Basra and Abadan. It
was ascertained that in 1922 96 per cent, of the shipping which crossed
the Shatt-el-Arab bar was British. The British shipping interests were
consulted, and it was agreed that an Advisory Committee should be formed
of commercial and shipping representatives to work in partnership with the
Government of India in the administration of the new Lighting and Buoying
Fund ; the Iraq Government agreed to levy the dues, which wore put into
force (at the rate of 3 annas a ton, since reduced to 14 annas a ton)
on the 1st November 1925. His Majesty’s Government agreed to contribute
£5,000 a year for five years, subject to review at the end of that period.
Admiralty tankers were to be exempted from dues. No law has been
passed by the Iraq Government to provide for the levy, but it appears that
the dues are satisfactorily collected at Basra and Abadan, without real legal
authority, by the Port Directorate.
18. Since 1st January 1927, the Port Directorate have been employed by
the Government of Indians “contractors” for the Gulf lights. Instead of
R.I.M.S. Lawrence being used as tender, Nearchus, which was apparently
sold to the Port authorities, has returned to her old employment. The
vessel flies a British flag outside Iraq territorial waters.
19. This has enabled considerable economies to be made, and the bund
is now in a comparatively prosperous state. In October 1927, full power
was given to the Government of India to manage the fund entirely without
reference to His Majesty’s Government, under the arrangements made with
the shipping interests.
Letter from F O.
Mar. 29 1911,
P. 3241/11.
P. 3599/12, 3456/13
Pol. Res. to G. of I.
Aug. 11 1912.
G. of I. to Pol. Res.,
June 10 1913.
D.R.I.M. to G. of I.,
Mar. 1915,
P. 1482/15.
F.O. Memo.,
May 6 1925,
P. 1407/25.
Tel. from G. of I.,
Mar. 21 1923.
P. 1056/23.
Bagdad Deep.,
Dec. 1 1926,
P. 4480/26.
Bagdad Deep.,
Jan. 25 1927,
P. 921/27.
Tel. from Viceroy,
Jan. 3 1927,
P. 58/27.
Letter from F.O.,
Oct. 19 1927.
P. 4938/27.
IV.—Relations with Persia.
20. It may be useful for present purposes to mention briefly the main
occasions during the British management of the Lighting and Buoying
Service when His Majesty’s Government have come into collision with the
Persian Government.
(a) Tamb. —(See Memorandum on Tamb, &c., paras. 25 to 28 on page 3-)
(b) General Policy. —Early in 1913 the question arose of securing,
as a condition of a certain loan to the Persian Government, a declaration