Coll 28/61 ‘Persia. Trade Reports. Bundar Abbas & Lingah, 1925/6–’ [‎8r] (15/245)

n
and to the rumour that properties irrigated by
streams from river beds would be attached and
confiscated by Government as Government property.
’ * • , I • ! • <<
6. OPIUM.
Opium is not cultivated in the Bandar Abbas
<listrict. The local Malieh Department receive their
supplies for addicts from the Malieh Department,
Bushire. The current price of bond-rolled opium
is 1/60 per misqal (one sixth of an ounce).
7. INDUSTRY.
(a) to (d) State of industry generally—New indus
tries, lapse of old industries—Government encourage
ment. —The Carding and Spinning Mill owned by
Mr. Y. L. Khunji, an Iranian merchant to which a
reference was made in last year’s report is the only
industry of its kind in this area. He has added
some more improvements to the Mills since last
year. The output of the Mills is said to be about
3,600 Lbs. of yarn and twist per day with a nett
profit of about £60 per each day. The Mill works
continuously for 24 hours.
(e) Electricity. —The same old plant mentioned in
last year’s report is still in existence and supplies
electric current to town. The Governor has not so
far succeeded in forming a company of local mer
chants with a view to importing new machinery
and improving the electric supply of the town.
(/) Demand for foreign machinery. —According to
the Customs Statistics the values of machinery and
tools imported for Bandar Abbas and the interior
during the year under review were :—
From Rials.
United Kingdom .... 1,080,515
Germany ...... 209,357
United States 9,768
Japan ...... 9,795
India ...... 5,509
Salt mines at Namakdan {Kishm Island). —The
concession to work the salt mines of Namakdan was
given by the Ministry of Finance to a Company
formed in Tehran under the name of “ Sherkate
Namak ” (Salt Company) with a capital of Rials
500,000 (£6,250), two-third of which. is subscribed
in equal parts by the Agricultural Bank of Iran
and Mirza Abdul Mohammad Danishwar of the
Irano-Japan Trading Company, Tehran, and one-
third by other shareholders. ... . .
The Irano-Japan Trading Compafiy tendered for
the concession, but as the law of the country pro
hibited the lease of mines to foreign enterprise,
it is believed that they gave their financial support
to the former, who is one of their employees, ,to
form this company and he himself becomes the
Managing Director of the Company.
Danishwar and Mr. Misu Bishu of the Irano-Japan
Trading Company arrived from Tehran in December,
and were joined by a Japanese Salt Mining Engineer,
Mr. Makats Akiyama, who arrived from Bombay to
inspect the mines. A consignment of 140 packages
of explosives, percussions, and shovels, etc., which
is said to be intended for the salt mining project
was imported in November 1935 and shipped to
Kishm Island. It is believed that the work will be
commenced in the autumn of 1315 (1936).
8. COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPORT.
> ..5•II &¥ .»kl 1 • : : 3V IjUl.,! }
(a) to (e) State of communications, constructions of
new roads, upkeep of old. —The Bandar Abbas-Lar
Motor Road was declared open about the end of
this year by the Director of the Shiraz-Bandar
Abbas Route, Aqaye Mehdi Ansari, who also paid a
visit to Bandar Abbas by the same route in a
touring car. Except for a few trips by touring cars,
the road is not used by other kinds of wheeled
transport as the condition of the road is said to
be far from satisfactory, and even difficult for light
cars.
Total . 1,314,944
[g) Development of mines, im/ any.—
vstem of quarftng the Red Oxide mil
-The same old
system oi quarRng the Keel Uxide mines at Hormuz
is still continued, although the work is carried out
by Government. A quantity of 10,161 tons of
Red oxide to the value of Rials 2,139,541 was
shipped to the following countries during the year :—
By British Vessels.
Tons.
Cette (France)
550
United Kingdom
7,450
India ....
1,150
Japan ....
1
China ....
10
By German Vessels.
Hamburg . .
1,000
•••'*, l
Total . 10,161
The Khoramshahr-Charbar Coastal Road remains
incomplete. Ligah was reached during the year,
though similar unsatisfactory complaints are heard
about the section between Buehire and Lingah
which is passable with great difficulty by light oars.
Further improvements have been effected on the
Tang-i-Zagh road which connects Bandar Abbas
to Kerman and the interior, and has greatly reduced
the danger of accidents.
In January 1936 it was blocked for three days
owing to land-slides caused by heavy rain.
(d) Average rette of transport. —Table appended to
the report (Appendix II) shows the various Trade
Routes, their length in miles, freight, duration of
journey and nature of transport available in Bandar
Abbas. . - u- . ...