File 815/1917 Pt 13 'Persian Gulf: lighting and buoying service; Shatt al-Arab Conservancy Board' [‎334r] (674/686)

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iD. I he last live years have been too much taken up with administrative
and financial readjustments to permit of any extensive developments in the
service 1 he most pressing needs at the moment, however, are said to be
the replacement ol trie light vessel olf Kais Island and the establishment
of a lighthouse at Ras-al-Hadd. The desirability of the latter has been
represented on several occasions by individual merchant ships and by the
Merchant Service Guild. J
HI—Administration and Finance.
16. The question of raising light dues from vessels using the Gulf, to
pay ioi the maintenance of the service, was considered before the war.
But it was decided that such a course would be impossible “without the Letter from po
consent of the Bowers whose flags are flown by the vessels navigating Mar - 9 29
the Gulf, and such consent would not be forthcoming except on conditions P ‘ 3241/11 '
implying that very international control which it is the aim of His Majesty’s
Government to exclude.” The whole cost of the service (about £30,000 to
£40,000 a year) was therefore borne in equal shares by Imperial, and Indian
revenues, all fresh expenditure exceeding £100 requiring the prior sanction
of His Majesty’s Government. Subject to this control, the Government of
India were responsible for administration; during the period (1912-4) of
reconstruction the Bolitical Resident was ex-officio “Inspector of Lights,” p. 3599 / 12 , 3456 / 13 .
with the Commander of R.f.M.S. Lawrence as Assistant Inspector. In 1915 Poi. Res. to g. of 1 .,
the inspectorship was transferred to the Director of the Royal Indian Marine, n Ug iTY 9 i 2 i u
who, under the brovernment of India, was thenceforth responsible for the June 101913 .
maintenance of the Service. The commander of the tender remained d.r.i.m. to g. of 1 .,
Assistant Inspector of Lights, and was expected to consult the Political ^(Yyi^
Resident on all political matters in connection with the lights.
17. After the war, with the elimination of Turkish and German interests
in the Gulf, His Majesty’s Government were anxious to divest themselves f.o. Memo.,
of financial commitments, and in 1923 an inter-departmental conference
recommended that light dues should be levied at Basra and Abadan. It rp el f rom q. 0 f j ;
was ascertained that in 1922 96 per cent, of the shipping which crossed ^21 1923,
the Shatt-el-Arab bar was British. The British shipping interests were
consulted, and it was agreed that an Advisory Committee should be formed
of commercial and shipping representatives to work in partnership with the
Government of India in the administration of the new Lighting and Buoying
Fund ; the Iraq Government agreed to levy the dues, which were put into
force (at the rate of 3 annas a ton, since reduced to 1-|- annas a ton) Bagdad nesp.,
on the 1st November 1925. His Majesty’s Government agreed to contribute Jecmme,
£5 000 a year for five years, subject to review at the end of that period.
Admiralty tankers were to be exempted from dues. No law has been ^gdad map.,
passed by the Iraq Government to provide for the levy, but it appears that p.9'21/27.
the dues are satisfactorily collected at Basra and Abadan, without real legal
authority, by the Port Directorate.
iq QL.na let Innuarv 1927. the Port Directorate have been employed by
the Government of Indians ‘ contractors for the Gulf lights. Instead ol Jan . 3 1927)
R IM S Lawrence being used as tender, Xearchus, which was apparently p. 58/27.
sold to the Port authorities, has returned to her old employment. 4he
vessel flies a British flag outside Iraq territorial waters.
19 This has enabled considerable economies to be made and the bund
- - ‘ * ZSYi—7YL t maigeYe 0 Ynd !nLly ™ '
referS to His Maje^’s Government, under the arrangements made noth
the shipping interests.
IV.—Relations with Persia.
0 °. It maybe aS bS
Service’when 1 His Majesty’s Government have come into collision with the
rVrmnn (n ovGin mcut. ~~ \
\a) T«b -(See Memorandum on Tamb, &c„ paras. LO to -b on pa 0 e *.)
W i" p^ttpv—F arlv in 1913 the question arose of securing,
:as aGondltioTof a certain loan to the Persian Government, a declaration