Coll 28/112A ‘Persia. Tabriz – Monthly despatches of internal situation in Azerbaijan & misc. reports.’ [‎314r] (630/1237)

4.
villagas near Hazsiieh as it is also in villages round Tabriz and
other centres of population* Distribution of the land among tbs
peasants appears the principal point of their programme to be
emphasised*
lb8* Tabriz Donvqy r;ou *** while military convoys remain suspended*
^jwlth strong rumours of this suspension becoming permanent* the
d*H*0*U* continue to operate at a reduced and irregular pressure*
The hoviet authorities have rounded up a gang near J&ianeh*
including several Kussian soldiers* who had been engaged in
systematic thieving on the convoy route. Among the articles recovered
are* it is stated* three tyres belonging to the U.K.O.O** which are to
be returned when the enquiry is completed. The same authorities have
also confiscated all the motor spare parte and accessories to be
found at Maraud* which for some time has been the leading market in
these articles in Azerbaijan* all of them of course being stolen. In
one way it fulfilled a useful function as it enabled local vehicles
to be kept on the road, including Iranian government trucks* which
would otherwise have had to be laid up in the absence of any other
source of supply*
139. uabrlz ^unlcj.pallW* The Mayor states that* although the
town s budget has been approved for the current three months* he can
obtain no funds from the Finance Department, which in turn can obtain
no instructions from Tehran. The Finance Department collect the
taxes ior the Municipality on a commission basis* but has no authority
to hand them over without sanation from the capital. In the meantime
salaries and wages are in arrears and there is no money available
for essential work such as repairing roads. The Mayor adds that the
municipal garden can only be got ready for the summer season with
iunue provided out of his own pocket. There are many complaints of
a similar state of affairs in other departments: and Dr. Millspaugh
is widely blazed. It is fortunate* however* for most of tl» victims
that they long since ceased to regard their official salary as the
only remuneration to \$iich their position entitles them. This no
doubt explain© why they are taking it so well.
IjO* li£bour ..tyijUjtASB l^fJabyi,^.?, Aeferenee was made in paragraph
125 of this Diary to the presence in Tabriz of Khalil Xnqilab* who
had apparently come here to organise a merger between the Workers *
Union and Xudeh Union. A telegram has since been received by the
head of the Department of Industry in Tabriz from the Workers ( Union ,
in Tehran to the effect that Xnqilab has been expelled from the
Union and nas no authority to aot on its behalf. The Dove mo r-General
has ;also received a telegram from the Prime Minister authorising him
to banish him should he cause any trouble*
The Governor-General has been visiting various factories in
Tabriz and hopes to reintroduce a certain element of discipline
wh^re the workers and their unions have got out of hand, he has had
two agitators arrested and has also given instructions that workers
f who do not work shall not be paid. Me has likewise, so he states*
imoimad the acting doviet Gonsul—General that he must not interfere
in labour matters as they do not in any way concern him.
The Tudeh Union organised a large meeting of workers on 26th
*iay when strong protests were made against the labour mobilisation
bill as well as the nefarious activities of Geyyid 2ia. The usual
telegram was despatched to Tehran.
141* rbalj anjfrala situation. There is much criticism and no
support of the recently published official prices of this season's
grain. The reductions are thought to be unfair and unwise as costs
of production nave increased and so have the prices of all essential
commodities* It is also held that enough account has not been
token of local conditions^ m, to take one example, when a lower
/price