Coll 30/5(1) 'Persian Gulf Diaries: Bushire Residency (Persian) Jany. [sic] 1941.' [‎331r] (662/938)

IA
/VI.
119.
12 0 .
- 2 •
Station on Abbassak Island, and also to send the Quarantine
Tende r the Ibn-i-Sina 1 for repairs.
IV. COMMUNICATIONS .
(i) On the 28th May Satwan Muvaththagi of the Persian
Civil Air Service arrived here and has started repairs to
the landing ground to have it in readiness for an air
postal service which the Persian Government are said to be
expecting to start shortly between Bushire and Tehran. No
definite date, however, has been given by the Persian
postal authorities, when the service will begin; but they
hope that it will open in one or two months.
V. LOCAL AFFAIRS .
(a) The distribution of sugar ration cards was sus
pended during the first week of May on the grounds that
Mr. Ismail S a fai, Director of Distribution, had issued a
great number of coupons against fictitious Census Certi
ficates in consideration for bribes. AQai Rukmeddin
Ahmadi, Director of Revenue, Pars, promised to depute
Inspectors of the Economics Department in Shiraz to visit
Bushire and take a correct census of the population and*
then issue the people with six months* rations 6f sugar.
This premise was not fulfilled for nearly 22 days during
which over two thirds of the population did not draw any
sugar from the Economics Department and had to ourchase
their requirements at Rials 64 per maund (8 lbs).
A commission of 5 officials headed by Mr. Sad©-
qizadeh of the Economics Department, Shiraz arrived here on
the 27th May and began to issue a Census Questionnaire as
a preliminary to issuing sugar ration cards. At the end
of May they had issued a few dards.
(b) The bread situation has become worse to some extent
as poor persons continue to flock into the town from out
side areas. The Governor has instituted a Commission,*
which intends to build a new bakery to serve as a model.
The Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. Assistant Engineer’s services have been lent
to advise and assis t.
(c) At a meeting of the Commission held at the Governor-
ate a resolution for the control of the price of rice was
adopted. A local merchant, who has received a hundred bags
of rice from Shiraz, agreed to sell them a t a price
admitting of his getting 10# profit, and no more. It was
also arranged that further consignments of rice should be
brought from Shiraz for sale at reasonable prices, in order
to compete with profiteers. This may also result in a
reduction of the consumption of wha* wheat by th e richer classes
thus helping the poorer classes to obtain their bread
requirements with less difficulty.
Meanwhile, the Economics Department, vushire. has
received 400 bags of rice, part of a consignment to 200 tons
for sale at Bushire'and districts, sent by the Economics
Department, Isfahan.
(d^ As a result of complaints made against the
Governor of Bushire by the local merchants, a news item
appeared in a Tehran newspaper that the Government
intended relieving Aqai Mir Ali Zahir. The Governor, however,
on making enquiries on the subject, received assurances
from his son (who is in the Ministry of Interior) and also
from the Governor General of Pars,’that there was no
intention of his being transferred.