Coll 28/41 ‘Persia. Trade Reports. Kerman 1924–’ [‎69r] (137/313)

5
tion apparently inducing capital owners to turn part
of their money into goods.
Another reason for the keen demand for Kerman
carpets is the fact that carpets from Sultanabad
lost in favour in New York and Kerman goods were
more popular.
Towards the end of the year, however, the demand
began to fall off, and the market was exceptionally
dull by the end of the year. Large stocks of Kerman
carpets are said to have accumulated in New York,
and before these are considerably diminished, no
improvement can be expected. A reaction has
already set in at the time of writing. Buyers are
rapidly curtailing their commitments, and weavers
are being dismissed one after another, as they deliver
their goods. The prospect for the next year is
therefore not very bright, so far as the carpet
industry is concerned. # . .
In order to improve the weaving industries in this
province, the services of an expert weaver and a
few assistants from Yezd were enlisted in the month
of November, and ten looms for the weaving of
cotton as well as wollen and silken fabrics erected.
The work is, however, going on very slowly, as
Kerman weavers are new to the work and
find the terms offered by their more industrious
Yezdi colleagues too hard to accept.
(6) New Industries.—Nil The question of reviv
ing the old indigo industry in the province on modern
lines was taken up by the local authorities during
the year. The last proposal is to arrange for the
formation of a small company, with a capital of
Rials 120,000, with headquarters at Bam, the centre
of the chief indigo producing district in the province,
and for the engagement of an expert from India
to teach the modern methods of extracting indigo
for dyeing purposes.
(c) Lapse of old industries.—Nil.
(d) Electricity. —The electric light plant erected
by Sheikh Abul Qasim Harandi, the former Russian
Sales Agent in Kerman, in September 1932 has
been functioning since. Further houses and places
in the Municipal area have been supplied with
lights. The plant, which is still said to be running
at a loss, has not, however, been working satisfac
torily and constant interruptions occur. Ihe re
placement of the Russian engineer in charge of the
factory An East India Company trading post. by a Persian from Tehran has not improved
m *(e) demand for foreign machinery.-The company
formed in Kerman early in 1933 and called the
‘ Shirkat-i-Sihami-i-Kerman ’ (The Kerman Com
pany Ltd.) made arrangements in the month of Octo
ber with the representatives of the German concern
of the A E G. in Tehran for the importation of a
wool carding plant of 30 h-p, at a total cost of Rials
200 000
A Russian Engineer visited Kerman, on behalf of
the A. E. G., in February 1934 to supervise the build
ing operations on the site prepared for the erection
of the plant, and the machinery arrived from Bandar
Abbas at the end of March. Only the engine appears
to be of German manufacture, the rest of the
machinery having been supplied by the Polish firm
of E. Josephy’s Erben, Bilsko, Silesia. Certain
parts of the engine having been damaged on the road
between Bandar Abbas and Kerman, the Russian
Engineer declared himself unable to proceed with
the work of erection, and the A. E. G. were asked to
send an electrician to see to the damaged parts.
In November 1933 the Governor-General studied
the question of extracting juice from the liquorice
plant, of which there is said to be an unlimited
quantity in the province, and of importing machinery
for the purpose.
A project was set on foot at the end of the year
for the formation of a new company with a capital
of Rials 800,000 about 50 per cent, of which was pro
mised by the Swedish concern of Persiska Com-
paniet Aktienbolag of Tehran, who had previously
studied the possibilities for trade in the liquorice
root or extract in this part of the country, and the
remaining 50 per cent, was to be provided for by
local capital. Eventually the Swedish firm declared
themselves unable to take up shares in the project,
but offered to have the machinery delivered at
Bandar Abbas at a total cost of £10,500 agreeing
to receive the value in instalments.
The scheme does not seem to be making any
progress. From the fact of the Swedes refusing to
participate in the project, it is inferred that the
enterprise could not be a lucrative one, and the idea
of being in debt to a foreign concern and the latter’s
control of the plant for an indefinite period, until
the debt is paid off, does not seem to appeal to the
would-be share-holders.
At the time of writing the question is being studied
once more by the Governor-General and the other
parties concerned, with a view to finding a solution,
but the prospect is not very bright.
(/) Development of mines, if any .—The working
of a coal mine in the Badamu hills, some 20 miles
to the west of Kerman city, which, incidentally,
was visited by a British geologist in 1913, was
taken in hand in November 1933 by the local Finance
authorities, and a quantity of coal was extracted
and consumed, for the first time, in the stoves of
certain Government departments in Kerman.
Other likely spots in the neighbourhood of Kerman
town were explored by the local authorities for coal
mines in December, when a second mine, more
extensive than the one mentioned above was said
to have been discovered. Samples from both mines
were sent to Tehran for inspection.
8. Communications and Transport.
(a) State of communications generally .—As pointed
out in previous reports, Kerman is at present con
nected by motor road with (a) Yezd-Isfahan-Tehran,
(b) Sirjan-Bandar Abbas and (c) Bam-Zahidan.
The direct motor road to Shiraz via Sirj an and Niriz
has not been used during the last several years,
and is said to be in a very bad state of repair. Shiraz
is, therefore, reached via Isfahan.