'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME II' [‎261r] (526/706)

RASHT
509
Exaggerated credits are gradually spoiling this trade, which since 1907
has left practically no margin of profit to the exporter. The latter buys
cocoons by advancing money at no fixed purchase rate, which is never settled
on until long after the goods have been already disposed of m Europe, h or
instance, the price of cocoons exported in 1910 was only settled m June, 1911,
or less than a month before the new cocoons were ready. This is, perhaps,
exceptional, but is a good indication of the prevailing system. The seller
usually remains debtor after settling accounts, and the purchaser agrees to
receive payment in cocoons the following year. Before the season, however,
further advances are made to the sellers by the purchaser, and thus the former
again remains debtor when the cocoons have been delivered. This system
was all right when the difference between the purchase price in Persia and the
sale price in Europe left a margin of 30 to 40 per cent, but now that rates
have levelled up, cocoon buyers would willingly put a stop to this mode of
purchase, which exposes them to great risks. Some, however, are precluded
from doing so by competition, and others through being large creditors of
amounts they can otherwise never hope to encash. The fact remains that
during the last few years only those dealers who have combined the import
of grain with the export of cocoons have been able to make the two ends meet.
As insurances are effected and advances made on cocoons on the strength of
bills of lading I consider it my duty to draw the attention of insurance
brokers and shippers to irregularities, which take place here. Some agents of
steamship companies, either out of ignorance or from excess of confidence
in their friends , issue bills of lading sometimes without inspecting the bales
to be shipped. Exporters are known to have held bills of lading many days
before the goods were delivered to the shippers. In one particular case,
now before the Erench law courts, small bales were shipped instead of large
ones, as declared in the bill of lading A document confirming the goods which a ship has received. , against which advances were made,
and it was only on consignees taking delivery of the goods that the fraud was
discovered.
Tobacco .—The tobacco crop of 1910 was very good and estimated at
50,000 puds (36 lbs.). The price was about 50 krdns, or 18s. 6|cZ. per pud
(36 lbs.).
_The cultivation of tea is extending in Gllan. It was first tried
in Lahijan, and now experiments are being made in Fumen. The quantity
produced is as yet very small, and this produce cannot be considered at pre
sent as of commercial value.
Cotton .—Cotton grown in Gilan gave good results, but the native is too
apathetic to make extensive experiments. The cotton exported to Russia
via Enzali comes from Isfahan, Kashan, Qum, Kazvln and Tarum. Prices*
in 1909 were 950 krdns (17L 10s. Id.) per kharvdr of 650 lbs. and in 1910,
1,060 krdns (19k 6s. 3|d.). A portion of the 1909 crop which had remained
on hand was disposed of as well as the whole of that of 1910.
Forests. Since the monopoly of the export of wood was terminated about
two or three years ago, some Armenians have obtained from private owners