File 2830/1914 Pt 2 'Persian Gulf: Pearl Fisheries. Investigation into Alleged Depletion of Pearl Banks. Germans and the Industry. Concessions, etc.' [‎178v] (365/578)

This was only the case for a few weeks of high pressure during the date
packing season at Basrah and never became a permanent arrangement One
sailing monthly is the regular programme and, according to past experience
and their most recent time-table, is ordinarily adhered to.
(iv) The question of rebates granted to Messrs. Wonckhaus bv the
Hamburg-Amerika Line was briefly referred to in the Confidential
Beport on the first year’s operations of the Hamburg-Amerika
for ^ ai : ded with letter No * 2473 > date( l 27th November
1907, and m connection with my present observations I would
invite reference to the notes recorded in that document under
the hetul of Lin gab and Bahrein exports. It was stated there
that the rebate allowed was Is. per ton, but I have since heard
it quoted as being anything from Is. to 2 s. and 6 d. per ton. The
fact is that while it is known that Messrs. Wonckhaus do ship
on special terms, it cannot be ascertained precisely what those
terms are.
. 4 * Reverting now to the question of Messrs. Gray Paul’s operations and
their value, I beg to furnish the following information. As before mentioned
they have handled the shell trade for many years before Mr. Wonckhaus
I appeared on the scene. Thus at the end of 1892 or beginning of 1893 thev
obtained a concession from Sheikh Esa granting them the exclusive right to
purchase and export shells from Bahrein. This, however, annoyed the Sheikh’s
mercantile dependents and they made such insistent protests against the
monopoly that before long the Sheikh was obliged to appeal to he
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. to support him in the cancellation of the concession. In the result
tbA TWri firm ® ul ’ rendered the privilege on receiving an assurance through
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. that no concession should be granted to any other party In
n?? M6 iT G lu y Paul com P lained once or twice that Sheikh Esa was said
fibp^ir i pl f ng i h t grant of a ooooossion to some native firm, but the
one™ rnnl deD T ed ^ imp . ea< *T nfc and fhe trade has remained practically
Ers Grav Paul w 7 pra f tlca1 ^ be ^nse as a matter of fact it appears that
essrs. Gray Paul were able, and as compensation for the loss of
t0 ? r ^ ai1 u P° nthe Sheikh to allow them to export shells
preferential rates of export duty compared to the general public
h ° We J e I- tliatthis advantage they have nowfost, owing to
British ° a findmg ^ 0utj haviB g demanded similar treatment. The
ish firm, having regard to the attitude previously adopted bv the
Sr^gemenf^which ^ neVer infor “ ed us prefeYenttl
withdrawal 1 h h ^ en]0yGd from Sheikh Esa » nor of the fact of its recent
Mt. w :i qUite ^ Ue ’ as 8 ^ a ^ ed tfie report of Messrs. Lynch’s Agent that
was raXkd bv thn th^ 1 S '' at f d EaSt AfriCa to Lin S a ‘‘ in 1898 or 1899,
was enabled by the absence of close competition there to build up the small
M°lZZZ m T P b ^ 11 GXP r tj Which eDabled him four ^ars later to
Pm i 1 b J s 0 P eratl0lls to Bahrein and enter into competition with Messrs Grav
enei“ ^ ^ ^ not shfbZd thoTr
in Bahrein u ^? los * co "fi de nce m iheir ability to hold their own
- K l m s P lte of the change of conditions to their disadvantage.
‘•In S Mel r rs B W^l,'t gen . t T™ tiD S to me aslat e as 4th instant observed:
have inctfsori rrm^ v 1 ! , sl “P“ ents were large, but since then our exports
ii ve increased considerably, while theirs have decreased, and we have more
ua^tfof'F^" b f adde r; “?. e , Germai1 ^s of fate Zpp“da
quantity ot bars shells, a quality which we have hitherto avoided altogether
hut we are considering the advisability of making a triaUbiprnt t„ ^t th e
chiefly from the PersTan Coasf ™" thin Tari ^ of the “ muhar ” coming
few weeks I ‘agol- Bahrei “ Agent ° f the firm wrote to onr Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. a
“The German firm have this season been buying at much higher rates
than we have. As the result of making contracts with middle

File 2830/1914 Pt 2 'Persian Gulf: Pearl Fisheries. Investigation into Alleged Depletion of Pearl Banks. Germans and the Industry. Concessions, etc.' [‎178v] (365/578)

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File 2830/1914 Pt 2 'Persian Gulf: Pearl Fisheries. Investigation into Alleged Depletion of Pearl Banks. Germans and the Industry. Concessions, etc.' [‎178v] (365/578)

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