‘Persia – especially Seistan’ [‎47r] (92/949)

NOTES ON COMMERCIAL CENTRES, &C.
59
There is an immense tract of fertile plain, capable of yielding two crops
in the year. Cotton, barley, linseed, millet, sesame, have all been grown on
it, and in average years there is a sufficient rainfall to produce an abundant
spring crop of wheat, obtained with a minimum expenditure of labour, and
without manure.
There is an important water-supply, at present running to waste, to be
obtained from the Karun river, which is heavily charged in spring with
fertile mud. The remains of former barrages and canals exist; presumably,
therefore, the engineering difficulties are not formidable. Greater difficulty
might, perhaps, be anticipated in securing remunerative employment for the
water made available. The region is inhabited by lawless Arab tribes, who
claim, and to some extent use, the land, and they are neither accustomed to
labour nor ambitious of change in their condition.
The winter in Ahwaz is cool and pleasant, but the summer, from May
to September, is very hot, with a temperature of ioi° to 104° in the shade,
dry heat.
Kermanshah.
The Customs Returns for 1901-02 and 1902-03 give the following
figures as values of imports and exports -
Imports
•
1901-02.
T
- 865,724
1902-03.
T
885,100
Exports
-
•
- 182,546
iss.iss
All imports and exports (except Turkish) pass through Busreh and Bagdad.
All Gulf steamers touch at Busreh, and cargo for Persia is transhipped there
to Bagdad without Customs examination, the bulk of it being on through bills
of lading, which include transhipment. The rates charged from Busreh to
Bagdad by the Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation Company on through
cargo are—
35s. per 1,000 kilos for loaf sugar.
375. per ton for all other cargo.
Bombay cargo is ton weight; other cargo according to tonnage scale.
Local cargo, when space is available, is taken by weight.
The Turkish steamers handle goods less carefully, and there is some
doubt as to speedy settlement of, claims for damage, shortage, &c. They
usually take freight at 4s. to 6s. less than the Euphrates and Tigris Company.
At times, sailing boats (“serafina”) are employed, freight by these averaging
15s. to 205 per ton, but it is difficult to insure by them, and valuable
merchandise is seldom sent.
Freight from Bagdad to Busreh varies from 7s. 6d. to 22s. per ton weight.
December to April is the slack season, when rates are low.
There is universal complaint of insufficient steamer transport from Busreh
to Bagdad. Goods are often blocked for four or five months. The Euphrates
and Tigris Company is allowed to have only two steamers running (they keep
a third in reserve), and the Turkish service has been very slow, and seldom
has more than two out of four steamers at work. They are, however,
preparing (March 1903) to increase their fleet.
Wharfage at Bagdad is very cramped. Goods have to pass the Customs
here. Merchandise declared in transit for Persia pays the full import duty of
8 per cent, ad valorem, and is entitled to refund pf 7 per cent, on production
of the transit pass countersigned at station of exit within six months.
Instead of the Turkish duty of 8 per cent, in cash, a payment of 1 per
cent., accompanied by a guarantee to pay the other 7 per cent., or to produce
the countersigned transit pass in order, is accepted by the Customs from
parties who have lodged security. This is a regular business, and guarantees
are furnished on reasonable terms, say 10 paras per package.