‘File 28/42 Persian Gulf War Trade Bureau Reports’ [‎71r] (141/194)

c
! i '
-«
PERSIAN G rULF ¥AK TRADR BUREA U.
REPORT ...NO ,36,
I Part I - Statistical''Portion..
' ■■ " • If f L . .
: ; 'v>/ Part II.
Sanxiary of information relating to Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. countries
received in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. War Trade Bureau during the week end
ing the 22nd October 1942. , ,
. ~ ^ ... A. PER SIA.
1 . Cond itions in Persia -
(a) Economic conditions of Teheran re su l ti n g from Gov e rn
ment control - The following extract from the monthly report
of the Banque Re Hie Iran for Hay 1942 (seen in the Bureau during
the week under report), is of interest
"The City of Teheran F.,1. has attempted on several occasions
to fix maximum prices for regular consumption articles. The
passive resistance and ill will of the traders have annuled
its effect although they have not: resulted in advance in
prices. .
Inqpite of the inefficiency of the information system and
economic control our Government has achieved certain results,
now that the difficult times have come, firstly has it been
able to quiet to a .great extent the uneasiness of the popula
tion, proving-that uhe pessimistic rumours did not tally’with
the facts, it has secondly assured the supply of provisions
and maintained the.indispensable transport m spite of
scarcity of material...,,.
• . It is necessary to make' a systematic effort: to obtain durable
results but the first condition is to give the country adequate
economic-and administrative armament which permits the organi
sing authorities to fix’ production price, the volume of
national production and import of stocks.
The best method seems to be to maintain the monopolies of tea,
wheat, sugar, tobacco and textile fabrics, the- administration
of which is not a burden on the budget, on the condition that
enough is imported to secure the revidualling of the country,
with or without rationing."
•(h) Bc&rcity of m oney in Pe rsia It is gathered from a
letter dated 4.9.1942 from Raison de Commerce lieherjeo, Bunder
Abbas, to R/s Zartoshti & Sons, Bombay, that due to scarcity of
:es of commodities
money there has been'a continuous drop in pr.
in Persia. The following is an interesting extract from the letter:-
"There, is-extreme scarcity of pioney throughout the country and
the prices of sugar ? tea, piecegoods have dropped to a dangerous
extent - sugar at Rials 1380, oiecegoods at'Rials 20 per Rupee
for cheaper stuff .and-others at Rials 18'and these are nominal
rates no considerable business can be done. The fact that
scores of customs declarations are lying uncleared for goods
belonging to so called first.class merchants of Yezd shows
very clearly : what the shortage of .funds must be at Yezd.All of
them advise their agents to- sell sugar, tea.,etc., at current
•i rates ■ thinking that-perhaps' there are big buyers in Bunder .
Abbas knowing very'little that Galladaries, or Rafsanjani,
Ettefaghias, Roshiris are only clearing agents. There are no
such merchants in Bunder Abbas who wouadgaare to buy any
large quantities of goods on their own account.The result
therefore had been: a continuous drop in''prices."
(c) Unsafe condit ion of road betwe en B ushir e, and Teheran -
Given below is an extract from a letter dated 12.9.1942 from
J.R. Rowes,.The Consulate, Bushirb, to Rrs. A.D.C. Pottyfer, c/o.
Grind Lay 1 s, Karachi- s -
"The road between Bushire and Teheran is stiff with bandits
and it is always, quite a to;
ier one gets’..anywhere 1 wr
Colivi. J-O i. 1Ucull -LO OVJJ.J.X Vv'XUil UGjIICLX UO
oss up when travelling now as to
without losing everything, includi
ng