'Adminisistration [Administration] Reports 1931-1935' [‎129r] (257/416)

; SECTION 7. •
Manumission.
, During 1934 the following number of slaves were manumitted :
Bahrain Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. .. .. .. ^ #
Muscat Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. .. .. .. # # 3 ^
Sharjah Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. .. .. .. # # .. 1
R. P. WATTS, Major,
Secretary, to 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. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
SECTION 8.
Trade and Trade Facilities.
General condition .—The year under review was one of the worst as far
as trade conditions in Bushire and district were concerned. The continual
reports of the stag-nancy of the market show the great difficulty the merchants
had to face in their trade.
During the last few years owing to lack of statistics for Bushire it is diffi
cult to express any idea with regard to the volume of trade both in Imports and
Exports. Although attempts have been made to obtain some sorts of statistics
for the annual trade report submitted to the Depratment of Overseas Trade
these will not help much because only the number of packages are given with
out the value both as regards Imports and Exports.
In view of the Iranian Government trade regulations in regard to import
licences, business gradually slackened and fell away throughout the year. In
fact trade in all staple goods is now placed in the hands either of a Govern
ment Monopoly or syndicate, a few merchants -were able to join the syndicate
and the rest were not able to do any business with the continent except in iron
ware, and sundry goods.
Part of the sugar trade and matches still remained as a Government
monopoly and for other staple goods such as piece-goods, motor vehicles and
opium a syndicate was formed with a limited number of merchants as partners.
This Government attitude naturally caused a great decline in the import trade
of Bushire. Such methods on the part of the Government completed this down
ward trend and even the biggest merchants in the town found their hands tied
at every turn by its regulations. No longer able to deal in sugar and other
goods it is difficult to see what is left for them to do except employ their capital
in speculation to sundry goods.
As a result of the aforesaid difficulties Bushire has become an entrepot for
upcountry markets and most of its needs are now supplied from Tehran by
small dealers.
The Iranian Government seems to wish to take all the main items of trade
into its hands and increase its revenue not only by imposing taxes but in obtain
ing profits over the monopolised goods. In July 1934 they decided to control
and stabilize the price of export certificates by compelling merchants to sell
them to the National Bank at the fixed rate of 9 per cent, and to buy at the rate
of 131 per cent., payment to be made by the bank after three months and the
transaction discounted if the merchant was in need of money before date. At
the end of the year the price of export certificates was however raised to 30
per cent, by the’Government owing to the appreciation in the value of the silver
Rial and merchants were not issued with any import licences unless they sold
their export certificates as the fixed rate and then buy at almost double the
price at which he sold.
XJp’ to the end of the year there has been no sign of any improvement in
the market and the Government neither helped merchants to extend their trade
nor to overcome the stagnancy.
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