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25. The Finance Department has been in charge of a cousin of the Governor
General throughout the year. The visit of the Minister of Finance at the close of
• 1936 has had little effect in Fars, as few of his promises have been carried into effect.
The Agricultural Taxes have been collected unremittingly all through the year.
The Opium Monopoly Office has had a quiet year owing to partial failure of the
crops and towards the end of the year it was announced that cultivations of opium
poppies was to be stopped and cotton to be grown in its place under the direction
of the Cotton Monopoly Company.
26. No new Public Works have been put in hand during the year. One of the
main avenues through Shiraz has been continued westwards as far as Masjid-i-
Bardi to form the commencement of a through road to Ahwaz. When it was an
nounced that the visit or the Shah was to be expected, patching operations were
begun on the Isfahan road. Various unmetalled roads were made in the Merv
Dasht plain to facilitate collection of beet for the new sugar factory An East India Company trading post. .
27. Spasmodic work was done on the Shiraz-Bushire road. As machinery
for the new factories is being brought into the country by Bushire to avoid the con
gestion of Khorromshahr, it will be necessary to keep the road in a better state of
repair and possibly the problem of crossing the“ Mashileh ” may be tackled. But
in the meanwhile the road is steadily deteriorating as is evidenced by the fact that
the general rate of hire for motor transport from Bushire to Shiraz is double that on
other roads in Iran. The road was inspected early in the year by the Director of
the Boad Department of the Ministry of Communications.
28. The Postal Services continued to function slowly but reasonably surely.
An office was opened at Takht-i-Jamshid (Persepolis) in the jsummer. The long
talked of air mail service from Tehran seems to have been postponed indefinitely
and the existing aerodrome after a considerable sum of money had been spent on
its improvement was decided by a joint commission of military officers and officials
from the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs to be unsuitable. Military opinion
was against its use for any purpose in co-operation with civil authority. Telegraph
services are reported to be very inadequate, largely through lack of staff.
29. The Agricultural Department is now largely concerned with the opera
tions of the new Government Companies for trade in cotton, skins, wheat, dried
fruits, etc. The opium crop having been unsatisfactory and Government having
decided to limit production, large areas have been planted with cotton and wheat.
The total area under cultivation in Fars is said to be about 600,000 hectares. Last
year s crop of cotton amounted to 6 million kilogrammes, while 300,000 kilos of
opium were produced. Government buyers did not take the whole stock of opium,
but cotton found a ready market for the mills of Isfahan and Shiraz. Supplies of
cotton for Russia are also required, as commitments have not been fulfilled. In
creased quantities have been planted in the Kazerun and Abadeh areas. Cotton
ginning plant has been installed at Kazerun and Mamessani, and is on crder for
Shiraz. Abadeh, Fasa and Jehrum.
30. The Government Grain purchasing organisation bought supplies in the Pro
vince and it is said that it is to be sold back to buyers for private use at a lower price
m order to assist in recovery from the dislocation consequent on the huge loss of
revenue from opium. Temporary grain stores holding 120,000 kharvars (about
34.000 tons) have been erected. They are believed to be half full. A credit of
1.300.000 nals is reported to be available for the construction of Grain Silos by
Russian engineers, as in other parts of the country.
31. Rice growing has been prohibited in the district and attempt made with
small success to grow cotton instead.
82. Sufficient beetroot was produced locally to supply the want of the refinery
at Merv Dasht which started work in October. By the "end of the year excellent
sugar was on the market at a price slightly lower than imported Russian su^ar.
Inere was talk of erecting a second factory An East India Company trading post. at Fasa.
33. b ruit trees in parts of the Province were reported in the Spring to be suffer
ing from blight. Unsually cold weather was experienced early in December which
will probably have affected the crop of oranges and citrous fruit.
34. Government experts have reported favourably on projects for sinking
artasian wells in connection with irrigation schemes. So far nothing has been
done.
MC184EAD