'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME II' [‎260v] (525/706)

508
RASHT
(8-20 to 8-50 lerans) prices at Baku having fallen from 5r. and 5r. 25c. and
3r. 60c. and 3r. 80c. Large consignments were therefore ordered by Rasht
importers, but merchants on March 20, 1911, were holding out for still
lower prices, and this, coupled with the fact that the road to Kazvin was
blocked by snow during the greater part of the winter, caused congestion in
the sugar trade of Rasht.
Sugar in loaves is imported in bags, but a small quantity is packed in barrels.
Bags of small loaves weigh 3^ puds (36 lb.) and boxes o to 5^ puds. Bags of
large loaves weigh 5 puds and barrels 40 to 45 puds.
T ea '—As already mentioned in my last report,,the bulk of the tea trade
is in the h lids of a firm in Rostoff-on-Don. There are three transport
companies in Russia who have the privilege of undertaking the tranship
ment from the Black Sea to the-Caspian without having actually to deposit
in Batum the duties which arc repayable on export from Baku. Thus all the
merchants here bring out their tea through these transport companies, and
by paying them a small fee are saved all trouble with the Russian customs
authorities. The transport people, in their turn, place all orders obtained
with the aforesaid firm in Rostoff. There has of late, however, sprung up a
tendency to import the tea direct from Calcutta, and thus save the various
intermediary brokerages and commissions.
Naphtha *—Some five years ago a large Russian oil firm started business in
Persia. With the object of capturing the whole of this import trade they be
gan underselling all the small merchants, who, of course, cannot resist such
competition for long. Up till now, however, local importers have managed
to hold their own, owing to their comparatively small expenses. In 1910 the
firm endeavoured to obtain a concession from the Persian Government to lay
a pipe line from Enzali to Rasht with the option of prolonging it to Tehran.
Local merchants set up such an opposition that the Government refused to
grant the concession. The Russian firm has, however, come to stay and has
bought a large site on the outskirts of Rasht, where reservoirs, offices and dwel
ling houses, have been built on a lavish scale. In time the naphtha trade of
Northern Persia will no doubt become a monopoly of this firm, who, with this
object in view, can well afford to work for some years at a loss.
Silk .—The following table gives a general view of the silk trade of Gilan
Year.
Boxes of
eggs imported
after deducting
amount re
exported to
Russia.
Dried cocoons
exported.
Proportion
of crop
spun
locally.
Price of co‘
coons (fresh)
per man
Shah(13 lbs.)
in Gilan.
Price of dried
cocoons
in Europe
per Kilo.,
1st quality.
Boxes,
Lbs.
Per cent.
Krans.
Francs.
1906-07
219,785
2,497,339
25
33
13-60 to 8-05
1907-08
306.368
2,937,558
33
19 to 20
8-60 to 9-40
1908-09
229,957
1,879,813
25
21
9-50 to 9-80
1909-10
241,716
2,391,187
30
25-50
9-20 to 9-50
1910 11
232,727
2,511,214
30
27
9-20 to 9-70
1911-12
-•t
2,415,000{
40
26
9-15
* “ Naphtha ” is the term used in Russia for what is known elsewhere as “ crude
Oil.’ 1 |For next season. ^Estimated,