File 234/1917 'Muscat trade reports. (1911-1924)' [‎88r] (184/428)

5
f s. 36,44,912 *nd in the year under report they
ere further reduced to Rs. 29,60,629, causing a
considerable shrinkage in the Customs revenues.
Imports.
II
The main imports are rice, cotton goods, and
coffee, which are responsible for Rs. 20,47,763 of
the whole total; sugar, wheat and oilman
stores are also largely imported.
Rice is a main article of diet, and since little is
grown in the country, it always constitutes the
the main import. Indeed it may be said that
the native of Oman exchanges his chief product
of dates for rice from India and for cotton goods.
America-and Japan are serious competitors in
the latter trade, though all goods are shown
as imported from India.
It is one of the difficulties in submitting a
report of value to importers that India being the
middleman, all goods are imported from Karachi
or Bombay and shown as from that country.
During the war Japan is becoming more and
more the source of imports in cotton goods,
matches, glass and miscellaneous goods.
It is hoped in the following year’s report to
deal with this more in detail.
Exports.
Exports, which in normal years may be taken
at Rs. 40,00,000, show a reduction of some 25
per cent., totalling this year Rs. 31,45,108, which
is, however, an advance of Rs. 3,22,279 on the
preceding year. This is partly due to the export
of specie, but also to a large rise in certain trades
as noted below.
The main export is dates, the production of
which constitutes the work of the greater part of
the population.
The figures this year show a continued rise in
the export of locally woven cotton goods. The
inhabitants of Oman weave an excellent hand
made cotton cloth which is used for turbans shawls
or as a skirt wrapped around the waist (trousers
are not worn in Oman). This cloth, made in
colours or in white, with gaily striped silk or
cotton borders, appears again to be acquiring
populantv in Zanzibar and quantities are also
exported to Aden.
There has been an upward curve in the export
in the various kinds of dried fish, an industry
which could well be extended in Oman with its
length of sea-coast teeming with fish of every
kind. Present exports consist of dried sardines
and other fish and of shark fins and ray fish,
which are sent to Bombay and Colombo for
despatch to Hong-Kong for the China market.
Business methods in this respect are, however>
unsatisfactory since it takes an exporter one year
or even two years before he can determine what his
profits have been.
Shark and ray fish are common along the
whole coast as well as porpoises, and these fish
seem to take the place of butcher’s meat with the
poor of the sea-coast population.
Openings for New Trade.
In the present condition of affairs no new
openings can exist. If the main imports and
exports of dates, rice, cotton goods, etc., i.e. y the
necessities of food and clothing, are subtracted, it
will be seen that the total remaining is small.
The people of the country are poor, but have no
incentive to work or to improve their condition,
food is easily come by, labour is plentiful, and the
date crop, which provides a living, demands but
two months hard work during the year. Added
to this the climate induces laziness and thus no
new demand is created.
When the country is developed new require*
ments will spring up, lbut, | for the moment, the
only thing which can be suggested is a tinning |
factory An East India Company trading post. for sardines which might well repay
capital expended. '*
There used to be one European firm the name
of which continues under native management.
The place could certainly support one firm under
European management.
Freights and Shipping.
The figures relating to these matters are given
in the usual form. They have been obtained from
the Consular records and from information
supplied through the courtesy of Messrs. Towell
& Co.
Steamers.— The port was, with the exception
of two Swedish vessels, visited only by British
ships. The regular mail British India Steam
Navigation Company’s steamer called weekly
throughout the year with the occasional visit
of the slow mail represents practically the whole
total of 69 vessels. There was no other line
with a regular call.
Sailing Vessels. —There is no available infor
mation regarding callings or leavings of sailing
vessels, other than those flying the British flag,
though the port is visited by large numbers of
locally owned vessels and also by some from
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ports and the Red Sea littoral.
Thus figures only show those of which a record
is kept in the British Consulate, having deposited