'Report on the Persian Army' [‎76v] (152/170)

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Arsenals.
Foundation
of.
Establish
ment.
Plant, etc.
Administra
tion.
Working
capacity.
Present
state.
such as musical instruments, etc. He is assisted in those
places where arsenals exist by subordinates of his own nomi
nation and has also a very large staff of officers, pensioners,
workmen, out of all proportion to the nature ot their duties.
A fixed sum is set apart every year for the expenses of the
department in the military budget of the Paymaster-General
( Vazir-i-Lashkar), but as regards disbursements he deals
directly with the Minister of Finance, to whom the accounts
are submitted for audit. Sometimes provincial requirements
are met by the local arsenals; in such case the expenditure is
shown in the accounts of the local governors.
The ministry is sold to the highest or most influential
bidder, and it is the business of the farmer to make as large a
profit at the expense of Government as his short tenure of
office allows. The possibilities of such profit in the absence of
Government purchases abroad, and the decline in local
purchases owing to want of funds, have rendered the depart
ment a less desirable one from the point of view of the farmer.
His prestige is no longer what it was, and the competition is
not brisk.
Arsenals are found at Tehran, Tabriz, Khoi, Urumieh,
Ispahan, Shiraz, Meshed, Astrabad, Kermanshah, Khorremabad,
Shuster, Kurdistan, Kerman, Sari (Mazanderan).
The Cartridge Factory An East India Company trading post. .
The following is from a report of Lieut.-Colonel Picot
dated 1894:—
A small cartridge factory An East India Company trading post. has been established as a branch
of the arsenal near the grand parade ground in Tehran, and
has been placed in charge of a German mechanic engaged on
a three years’ contract.
The Government establishment is maintained at a nominal
strength of men, but 20 only are actually employed.
The plant consists of an engine of 7 horse-power with
presses, cutters, etc., imported from France or Austria.
The materials used in the factory An East India Company trading post. , such as brass, steel, iron,
etc., are imported from abroad. Powder is manufactured in
Persia.
The factory An East India Company trading post. is leased on contract to a military officer, who
supplies such cartridges as the Government or the public may
be disposed to purchase.
The working capacity of the factory An East India Company trading post. was stated by
Monsieur Horwart to be 10,000 cartridges per diem, but 5,000
per diem would probably be a fair estimate.
Like so many other institutions, the factory An East India Company trading post. has suffered
from neglect since the accession of Muzzafer-ed-Din Shah,
and is now in 1899 closed. The workmen, however, still
continue to be paid by Government, and the contractoi
utilises their services in the production of wood and metal
work for sale in the bazaars.
The machinery is in an exceedingly bad state, and a large