File 930/1912 'Mohammerah - Khoremabad Railway' [‎103v] (213/396)

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miles, in one month (with a system of relays, goods could easily be delivered
in a fortnight), and the cost of its forage, attendance, and allowance for
depreciation need not amount to 11. per month.
Commerce in general, and particularly traders with limited capital, would
derive great benefit from a quicker despatch of merchandise, forwarded at
more uniform rate of transport, and represented by a way bill available as
a transferable security for banking or other advances. A company com
mencing simply as an organiser and contractor of transport would be able
to offer all these advantages, and could gradually extend its operations,
through control, to ownership of caravans, stations, and forage, in order to
secure the fullest economy and expedition in transport.
I have pointed out that the concession from the Persian Government for
such a purpose could not confer rights of levying tolls or taxes. It should,
at least, convey to us an option (like that now held by Ptussia in regard to
railways), over any projects in the Gulf which may appear probable subjects
of subsequent enterprise, such as dock or harbour works, tramways, or the
irrigation of the Karun plains. This latter project is already a matter
to which the attention of British enterprise might well be directed, by
collating and arranging all information extant on the subject.
An effort is now being made to re-open and improve the Karun route
through Shuster and Burujird to Sultanabad, and I hope it will be prose
cuted with vigour and determination, for this route promises much benefit
to our commerce. A fair caravan track can be constructed at moderate
expense, transport on it will be cheap, as part of the region traversed is a
mule-breeding district, and forage and grain are abundant. Our imports
should be delivered in Sultanabad, Hamadan, and Kermanshah on better
terms than by the Bagdad route, and, what is most desirable, an export
trade will be encouraged in carpets, opium, skins, leather, gums, wool, and
other products of these regions, some of which are at present exported only
by northern routes. The waggon route from Sultanabad will be brought in
touch with the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and will facilitate transport of our imports to
Teheran.
I have stated elsewhere the grounds for my opinion that the Nushki-
Seistan route will not serve to retrieve our commercial position in Khorassan.
But if it is desired to foster trade by that route, I think the Indian Govern
ment would best serve that end by establishing a transport service to
undertake the carriage of merchandise, at stated intervals, and at a uniform
rate of freight, based on the approximate cost of maintenance and attendance
of a caravan for the time occupied on the journey from Nushki to Meshed.
The uncertainty in obtaining transport, and the heavy cost resulting from
freight being all in one direction, is severely felt by Meshed importers. The
establishment would not be very costly, and the loss on animals earning no
freight would disappear if a well-balanced import and export trade can be
established. But Meshed, the commercial centre of all Khorassan, lies too
near the Transcaspian railway to permit of competition with Russia on equal
terms, and I think more fruitful results might perhaps be obtained by
studying the means to secure a market in India for export products such as
carpets, shawls, wool, mohair, ghi, dried fruits, and nuts, at present sent to
Meshed from Turbat, Birjand, Herat, and neighbouring parts of Afghanistan,
but which could with equal facility be sent to such a centre as Birjand, if
buyers could be found there for them. These products would then be
exchanged for British goods in Birjand, instead of for Russian goods in
Meshed.
The Russian consular service in Persia is generally believed by Persians
to have shown greater energy and determination in supporting mercantile
claims than other consular services have shown. In consequence of this
reputation Russian traders may have been encouraged to deal more freely
with Persians than other traders have, as debtors are perhaps more careful
to avoid entanglement with Russian than with other creditors, but I have
not myself found clear ground for this assertion. Nor have I discovered, on
enquiry into such instances as came to my notice, that the ultimate results
obtained by Russian methods have been markedly satisfactory. There is no
code of mercantile law which can be appealed to, and the Consul can