Coll 28/41 ‘Persia. Trade Reports. Kerman 1924–’ [‎45r] (89/313)

3
system, but the income of the Government Estates
in the province, which were sold to the public during
the last two years, no longer forms a part of the
annual Kevenue.
The attitude of the tax collectors towards the
tax payers, and their methods of tax collection
spite of constant defaults and delays in payments,
lias certainly been very praiseworthy.
4. Military.
(а) Commandeering of transport. —Motor transport
was occasionally commandeered during the year,
but no complaints as to the non-payments or under
payments of hire, etc., were brought to notice as
far as the Military Authorities were concerned.
(б) Interference with trade and industry. —No
interference on the part of the Military Authorities
was heard of during the period under review. The
Military proved of great assistance in maintaining
security on the various trade routes, where it was
necessary to reinforce the Amnieh (Road guard)
posts.
(c) Effect of conscription. —Conscription has
greatly diminished and the public have got accus-
- tomed to it. Most of the conscripts, on comple
tion of their Conscription Service are opposed to
returning to their humble occupation, and conse
quently industry and agriculture suffer to some
extent.
5. Agriculture.
(a) Area under cultivation more or less. —A number
of Qanats (Underground water channels) which
had been damaged by floods during 1932 are still out
of order for want of repairs, as a result of which
the area under cultivation, which had been estimated
between 300,000 and 400,000 Acres has not reached
its previous level.
(b) The harvest {Crops). —Fruit, though not very
abundant, was better than the previous year.
The wheat and barley crops were on the whole
better.
The Pistachio crop was exceptionally poor, the
total yield in the province was estimated between
200,000 to 250,000 Tabriz man, therefore the prices
ranged between Rials 25 to Rials 32 (Sh. 6 to 8)
for the “ fair average quality ” which was nearly
double the prices of last year.
Special attention was paid to promote and increase
the cultivation of pistachio trees which is one of
the chief and sumptuous items of export of this
province.
Henna which is one of the chief items of cultiva
tion in the Bam and Narmashir districts, fared well
during the year. There was a good demand for
this product during the latter part of the year, which
was exported to Yezd and Isfahan, from whence
it is said it was exported to Germany. The prices
rose to Rials 8 (Sh. 2) per man and though the culti
vation was not so plentiful as in previous years
the income on this article of export did not suffer
owing to the rise in prices.
(c) Introduction of new crops and new methods
{Machinery). —No new crops have been introduced
though cotton and opium are cultivated on a larger
scale, but under the same primitive method. The
proposition to revive the indigo plantation and
industry at Bam is still in abeyance. The Iranian
Consul at Bombay was not in favour of engaging
an Indian Indigo Expert, but suggested that a young
Iranian with a fair knowledge of English should
be sent to India to study the industry.
As reported above more area^were brought under
cultivation of cotton in the Rafsinjan and Zerend
districts to meet the demands of the Weaving and
Spinning factories of the country.
A special representative of the cotton Monopoly
Company at Tehran arrived here in February 1936
to supervise the cultivation.
The total outturn of raw cotton in the district of
Rafsinjan for the year is said to have been about
400,000 mans, and the prices ranged between Rials
10 to Rials 14 per Tabriz man.
A branch of an Agricultural Farm was established
in Kerman in November 1935, and started to lay
down experimental beds for different kinds of cotton
seeds. The Director of the Farm a Government
student from the Government Farms at Karaj came
from Tehran to open the farm here. He visited the
surrounding towns and villages to inspect the culti
vation. The department having recently been
established, is too soon to comment on it.
The Agricultural Bank of Iran opened a Branch
at Kerman in November 1935, with the chief object
of improving the agriculturing conditions and that
of the agriculturists of the province. The terms
of the Bank, viz., an advance of 30 per cent, of the
Registered cost of the mortgaged property at a
premium of 9 per cent, against the loan, and 4£
per cent, on account of valuation by Government
appraiser is considered exj^orbitant. Moreover,
transactions with such institutions are disliked by
the respectable borrowers, who prefer to raise money
at higher premium, on a peaceful basis against
mortgaging of property than to expose themselves,
and ruin their credits in the Bazaar by negotiating
with the Agricultural Bank.
{d) Fixation of prices and registration. —The prices
for the articles of foodstuff, etc., are usually fixed
by the Municipality, but these and their regulations
are seldom adhered to by the public. A list of the
articles of foodstuffs with current prices is given
under the appendix VII for ready reference.
A branch of the Registration Office for registering
landed properties was opened at Bam in June 1935,