‘Persia – especially Seistan’ [‎30r] (58/949)

PRINCIPAL ARTICLES OF COMMERCE.
25
Number in
Table of
Statistics
33
3 1
26
krs. 23 to krs. 24 (about 8s. 6d.). Copper bottoms, assorted sizes,
krs. 18J, cash, per Tabriz man (6s. 8^ ).
Brass sheets, 40 inches by 10 inches, weighing 3 lbs. to 9 ^ 1 bs.
krs. 24, cash, per Tab. man (8s. gd.).
Iron from India and Swedish iron are imported by the Gulf,
but the demand is largest in Teheran and the northern provinces,
and is supplied from Russia. A good deal of scrap iron from Bakou
is imported. Prices, Teheran, bars, rods, &c., according to quality,
krs. 3 to krs. 5, cash, per Tab. man (about is. $\d.) ; sheet iron,
Russian, krs. 4*20 to krs. 5, cash, per Tab. man (about is. 8r/.).
There is a fair demand for sheet tin used for making samovars,
canisters, and utensils of all sorts, and for lining cases. A
curious use to which it is put in country places is in window
frames instead of oiled paper. Price, Teheran, for plates 17^
inches by 12^ inches, krs. o'8o per sheet (3^.).
In Teheran sheet iron, usually obtained from kerosine cases, is
much used for roofing. 1 he use of thin zinc sheets from Russia
for roofing is growing in Teheran, the first cost being greater
than kerosine-case sheets, but the latter have to be painted every
two or three years. Price, Teheran, for zinc sheets in rolls, krs. 30
per Tab. man (105. 11^.). There might be an opening for some
corrugated iron roofing material if price lists, &c., showing cost at
Teheran, were available to builders, as the increasing cost of heavy
roofing timber is an inducement to adopt anything lighter than
the usual flat mud roofs, which have to be repaired every three
years. The zinc sheeting from Russia has to be soldered all
along, and, being light, tends to strip in heavy gales.
Bar silver is now imported in very small quantities, for silver
smiths’ work in Shiraz, Ispahan, Teheran, and Zanjan. The
heavier kran-pieces amongst the old coinage used to be melted
down for this work.
Block tin (“ kal '’) is used all over the country for whitening
copper cooking utensils ; the chief markets are Ispahan and
Hamadan.
Minerals.
Some 3,000 to 4,000 tons of red oxide of iron are exported
from Ormuz yearly. T he market is said not to take more than
this quantity. It is shipped under contract with one of the regular
lines of steamers to the Gulf. There are about 150 men employed
on the Island, and the ore is delivered on board by boats from a
small jetty at, it is said, 1/. per ton. Cost of mining and shipping
probably do not exceed 5^. per ton.
It was stated in Bunder Abbas (the statement requires confir
mation) that the salt mines of Kishm employ some 2,000 hands.
The salt is exported in sailing vessels to Muscat and Calcutta.
It is locally estimated to cost about krs. 5(15. gd.) per 100 mans
delivered on board. When the writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. was in Bunder Abbas in
March 1903 work was suspended, as the duty under the new
tariff prohibited export.
The oxide of iron mines of Ormuz and the saltmines of Kishm
are worked under a monopoly, for which krs. 20,000 per annum
is paid to the Persian Government. This monopoly expires in
about two years’ time.
Oil.
Olive.
See Olives (p. 20).
Petroleum.
Imported from Russia. For years past the coast ports from
Aden round the Gulf to Karachi have been supplied by a Bombay
firm, who ship by their own steamers. The price has risen from
krs. 10 to krs. 20 per case of two tins =65 lbs.