‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [‎172r] (352/617)

being the same as that which gives him the control of the Ministries of Interior, Justice,
and Commerce without any displacement of the nominal Ministers. An explanation of this
attitude may be found perhaps in the desire of the Sadr Azm not to excite the jealousy
of His Majesty the Shah, who might resent too great an accumulation of power in the
hands of any one individual.
Under the system suggested there will be no necessity for this personal effacement,
and the Prime Minister will have nothing to fear by assuming before the world his titles
of office as Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, and Foreign Affairs.
It will be noticed that the Prime Minister will have no immediate dealings with any
of the great financial Departments of State, such as Finance (Daftr), Treasury, Customs,
Mint, Pensions, Charitable Institutions, See. This abstention will give great weight to his
voice in the State and Ministerial Councils, besides adding immensely to his prestige in
the country. It will also afford him the necessary leisure for the proper administration of
his own special duties.
No. 9 .—Ministry of Posts.
It has been explained in Part I, Paper No. 9, that the administration of the Posts is
now conducted on the lines of a private enterprise subsidized by Government, and that,
despite the insecurity of roads and want of confidence on the part of the public, the service
has developed in a marked degree.
This development has taken place without any corresponding benefit to the Treasury,
the whole of the profits going into the private purse of the Minister.
As there is every reason for believing the revenue from this source to be already of
considerable value, and that a great extension of business would take place concurrently
with the improvement in the administration of the provinces, it would appear advisable to
bring the Ministry into accord with the various other revenue-producing sources of income;
in other words, to make it one of the Departments of State administered in the interests
of Government and the people.
No. 10 .—Ministry of Telegraphs.
The tenour of my remarks in the preceding paper on the Ministry of Posts applies
also in great measure to the sister Department of Telegraphs.
In one respect there is a difference, viz., that the Minister accounts annually for a sum
of 19,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. to the Imperial Treasury. Actually he creates expenses, so that Govern
ment is debited with a like amount, and practically the income derived is nil.
There is yet a fair field for telegraphic extension in Persia, and provincial reform
would certainly react favourably on this as on other Departments of State.
I would strongly urge the advisability of Government dealing directly with the
Telegraphs, and of making the Minister a public servant instead of a private monopolist.
No. 11 .—Ministry of Pensions and Charitable Bequests.
The interests which are at stake on the above account are doubtless great, demanding
the full attention of a competent Ministry ; at the same time reforms are not of such
immediate importance as, for instance, in the Departments of Interior, Finance, or Justice.
It would be politic to allow the reorganization of pensions, together with inquiry into the
management of charitable bequests, to wait over till some progress had been made in other
Departments.
Following on the installation of the Ministry, the influence of the Minister should lie
extended in the provinces by the agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. of a permanent staff. The latter would, under
instructions from the Minister, carry out the ordinary business connected with the
Pension Department, and take note of the due fulfilment of each and every bequest to
which the country is heir. They would settle all simple disputes, and refer the more
serious either to superior Committees, the Minister, or the Council of State.
Before the agents, however, could take up the ordinary routine of duty the Ministei
would be obliged to have recourse to special Committees. These would visit the provinces
and review the pensions and charitable bequests in detail as well as in general. The
reports would be studied by the Minister, discussed by the Council of Ministers, and
finally threshed out by the Council of State. The agents would then be placed in
possession of registration lists, be given details of pensions or bequests. The legal trustee
would, as before, carry out the conditions of the bequests, the agent having the right to
interfere as soon as mismanagement became apparent.
What the final effect of a business direction of this Department would be can best be
[668] ' K
Proposal for the
abolition of the mono*
poly, and creation of
Posts as a State
Department.
Proposal for the
abolition of the mono
poly, and the creation
of Telegraphs as a
State Department.
The Ministry.
Proposals for the
nomination of a
capable Minister with
permament staff.
Duties of permanent
staff.
Preparatory steps
necessary.