'Report on the British Indian Commercial Mission to South-Eastern Persia during 1904-1905. By A H Gleadowe-Newcomen.' [‎11v] (27/176)

10
USPOILT ON THE BRITISH INDIAN COMMERCIAL
China, Indian, and any other teas imported through Ashkabad pay equal
duties with teas imported through Bander Abbas or Bushire. The same is true
of cotton materials, sugar or anything else, whilst duties are not high on goods
produced in common by the two countries. Sugar comprises one-half of the
Bussian exports to Persia. The consumption of sugar in Persia is enormous,
but she produces none herself. An attempt was made to manufacture sugar
from beet in Persia, but it failed. A Belgian sugar factory An East India Company trading post. was established
near Tehran, but it has virtually had to be closed. The reasons for this, it is
reported, are that the Mullahs condemned the cultivation of beetroot, because
they considered the crop was grown to the detriment of cereals, while the
factory An East India Company trading post. was too large for local supplies to keep it fed with raw material. Bussia
is, however, now about to claim certain concessions for the growing of beet-root
and the manufacture of sugar in Persia, having found that, over a great portion
of Persia, Bussian sugar is unsaleable, and she realizes that the consumption of
sugar has greatly increased, and that it is certain to increase still more.
It may be impossible for Indian sugar to compete in the IS orth with
Bussian sugar, which, although wanting in sweetening properties, has the
advantages of being bounty fed as well as that of short and easy carriage, and
is therefore very cheap.
There is no apparent reason, however, provided favourable through-rates
can be secured and a careful study is made of the national taste, and provided,
also, that, by good management, economical working is secured, and the crip
pling burden of “General Charges” kept within reason, why Indian sugar,
both crystal and loaf, should not compete on favourable terms with, and ivrest
the market from, the Prench, Egyptian, Austrian and Belgian sugars, which
flood the whole of Southern Persia, even as far north as Hamadan, Ispahan
and Yezd.
Indian sugar of a good class is now unknown on the Persian market.
This is not astonishing, seeing that India has had till recently to conduct a dis
astrous w r ar with bounty-fed sugar from outside. Thanks, however, to reason
able and far-sighted legislation, Indian sugar has not succumbed, and is once
more on its feet. In a very short time India ought to be sending her sugar
abroad. It has greater sweetening power and purity than any of the sugars
now on the market in Persia. If it is packed so as to prevent sweating and
melting during transit, the Indian manufacturer, by dealing directly with the
Persian merchant and others, and thus saving the middleman’s profits, ought
to be able to make the South-Eastern Persian market his own.
In tea the trade can, I am sure, be largely developed, by a careful study
of requirements of the country, by shipping a moderately priced and light
liquored article. The Persian taste has been educated to appreciate light
liquored teas only.
In yarns and twists India holds a very firm position, but this position she
might improve still more if she could manufacture some finer grades.
In the same way India might be able to get in with more cotton goods and
prints than she now does, and secure almost a monopoly in woollens.
As I have said before, to make headway, Indian manufacturers must set to
work carefully to study the requirements of the country, and, working economi
cally, to meet them and compete with the Bussian assisted trader, who operates,
it must be remembered, under conditions which in addition to being unnatural,
are at present, uncertain, and who is handicapped in Southern Persia by land
carriage from the north, etc.
Some means must be arrived at by which the Persian trader, and more
particularly the small trader, can be assisted in the matter of Customs dues,
which are heavy and which must be paid in cash. The Banque d’Escompte
t? A.f lSe c assists ’ V 1 ^ e k ,an an( l Meshed, the importer of goods from Bussia.
Depots of reserve stocks must be established at distributing centres, which
are on the telegraph line, in order to supply, without loss of time, merchants or
markets threatened with depletion of stocks.
The Shipping Companies and Bailways must do their share, by granting
special and reduced through rates, a thing they can well afford, for goods intended