File 1283/1913 Pt 5 'MESOPOTAMIA TRADE Issue of new Trade Report' [‎121v] (238/270)

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3. British merchants shou.d stnd, the likes and dUHkes of thejocal -habitant, and^
as the Germans did, to modify designs, pa ’designs of glassware, etc., irrespective of
to hold to old lines in patterns of ^ to order goods
whether they are popular or not, an T „ jL-.- ^ trade is to develope in Lingah, it
from those who are more accommodatmg. If British traae^ ^ ^ had
is essential that a European representa ive s the - r op i n ion the amount of trade
a representative for a short time bu wi 1 Germans developed their business by their
to be done did not justify his retention.^Jhe German^devel P.^ and 8ubse( ^ ently
personal efforts. At first no less ^ an . , r . merchants by holding meetings and
Sue. A European representative could ^ 6 at “f^the gSds which they might
elh h adopted with much succeee. The Germane
Zf e ‘iwaTswiMiug to study the market and endeavour to comply with local reqmrements as
regards modification of the goods supplied, if it could possibly be do .
* 4 Ban kina —There is no bank in Lingah. A bank would behelpful to British trade.
the merchants might be induced to bank their funds.
✓ f
(iu)
BANDAR ABBAS.
1 Bandar Abbas is on paper a stronghold of British trade. In ISIS British and Indian
trade combined amounted V £46t,000 ont of a total o £ ^ 50 / 0 , 0 ’. whlle ® e v T n the hands
only £35,000 and this mainly represented sugar imports. The trade is mostly n
of the British Indian colony composed of Hindus and Khojas from bind.
2. Imports .—The chief imports are cotton piece-goods, yarn and twist sugar, tea and
dyes. The greater portion of the goods sent to the interior go to Kerman and some on o
\ezd ^he weak point of British trade has hitherto been sugar. But as the trade m this
article is entirely in the hands of British Indian merchants who order through British firms
in Karachi, an opportunity is afforded by the war for the introduction of British or
Egyptian sugars as soon as they can be placed on the market m sufficient quantities.
Although the bulk of the imports,^ 75 per cent., we shown ^ coming from the Lnited
Kingdom and India, there is little doubt that some of the goods credited to the British
Empire are not produced in it, but are re-imported from the continent. The sugar, tor
instance, shown as of Indian origin appears to be Java sugar transhipped at Bombay. Con
tinental piece-goods, china, glassware, enamelware, etc., imported through Bombay appear in
the customs statistics as “ from India.” It is of importance that so far as possible the
county of origin of goods should in every case be correctly given. Indian piece-goods have
gained a stronghold over the market and also Indian yarn and twist. Cheap and gaudy prints
and chintzes appeal to the poorer inhabitants of the interior and India has now the oppor-
tunitv of capturing the whole market for these classes of goods. Attention has several times
been" invited in trade reports to the possibility of introducing a cheap brand of cigarettes but
the business would have to be taken up by some firm of cigarette manufacturers.
3. Exports .—With improved communications there should be considerable development
of exports. The Kerman carpet industry, which was controlled by European firms established
at Kerman, was of great value, the exports having increased in three years from £15,000 to
£76 000. There are large quantities of local products such as almonds, raisins and currants,
dates, assafcetida, opium, rose buds and glim available for export. The establishment of
one or more British firms in Bandar Abbas, in touch with the leading houses in India and
Europe, and having agents in the interior, for instance, at Yezd, Kerman, Sirjan,
Bafsinjan, Lar, etc., would soon develope a large and profitable export business. It is remark
able that the export of wool, which includes also goat hair, to India increased from £17,000 in
1907 to £36,000 in 1915.
4. Shipping. —Bandar Abbas may he said to be fairly well served from the point of
tonnage but freights have been high owing to insufficient competition with the British India
Company who handled the greater portion of the trade and the lack of direct services to
Europe. For this reason most of the goods for London and New York had to be sent via
Bombay.
5. landing difficulties .—The great drawback to the Bandar Abbas harbour is the very
flat slope of the shore. The four fathom anchorage is two miles out and that for larger ships
about four miles. Although the pier is 110 yards long it has only a depth of 10 feet of
water at the sea end at high tide and at low tide there is 70 yards of dry land beyond it.
Not more than four lighters can discharge at one time in calm weather and work is possible
only during five or six hours out of the twenty-four as the tide serves. In rough weajher