Coll 30/9 'Persian Gulf: Administration Reports 1926-1938' [‎389r] (782/1028)

On the 23rd February, His Excellency arrived at Bandar Abbas and
immediately caused an investigation into the unsatisfactory state of the affairs
of the Revenue Department.
A branch of the “ Red Lion and Sun Society ” was also established at
Bandar Abbas and a sum of 1,700 Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. collected in subscriptions, together
with a promise by the merchants, to contribute five shahis per package on all
goods imported or exported by them through the Customs House.
Accompanied by the local Governor and the Officer Commanding the Troops,
His Excellency paid a visit of inspection to Minab.
The Governor left in the Customs Launch “ Gilan ” en route for Kishim
and Henjam, whence he sailed on the 13th March in the Iraq Government steamer
“ Nearchus ” for Bushire.
On his return to headquarters the Governor of Gulf Ports caused a Commis
sion of Enquiry to be despatched from Tehran, to investigate the unsatisfactory
state existing in certain administrative departments at Bandar Abbas.
The Commission under the presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. of Yawar Syed Riza Khan of the
Tehran police and consisting of one official each from the Ministries of Justice
and Finance arrived here on the 28th March and continued its labours till the
end of April.
Finance Department.
His Majesty’s Consulate now rarely comes into contact with this department
officially.
Mirza Abdur Riza Khan, the Amin-i-Malyieh, was, suspended from office as
a result of the investigation made by the Commission referred to above in
respect of the bandrolling of opium. He was recalled to Tehran in June and
relieved by one Mirza Ahmed Khan Moghithi, who himself was replaced on the
31st October by the present incumbent Mirza Mustapha Khan.
Minab .— Agha Mirza Abdulla Khan Minajj mi, Director of Finance of the
Gulf Ports visited Minab via Bandar Abbas in February and caused the Finance
Agent to be arrested and sent to Bushire owing to the discovery of a deficiency
of Krans 14,000 on inspection of his, cash balance.
Lingah .— Mirza Mohamed Hussain Khan Surushzadeh held the appointment
cf Amin-i-Malyieh throughout the year.
He is looked upon with suspicion by his colleagues owing to his reputed pro-
British proclivities.
Posts and Telegraphs.
Bandar Abbas.—Syed Ali Khan Sadr relieved Syed Zaman Saif in Feb
ruary and held charge of Posts and Telegraphs during the remainder of the
year.
His administration of the postal services was quite satisfactory on the
whole. A bi-weekly motor postal service between Bandar Abbas and Kerman
and vice versa was opened in September and is working with fair regularity.
Owing to the telegraph operators not being conversant with any foreign
language or being able to even copy messages arriving in code, telegrams are
delivered in a mutilated condition and are deciphered with great difficulty.
Telephones.
Communication with Minab by telephone was established during the year.
Ling a h. —Mirza Ali Akbar held the office of Postmaster throughout the
year.
A case was reported in May in which the covers of three injured letters con
taining Indian Currency Notes to the value of Rs. 1,840 despatched through the
Persian Post to Karachi by the Imperial Airways, were found torn open on
arrival at destination and their contents missing.
The postal peon A low-ranking infantryman, orderly or assistant (South Asian context). was suspected and subsequent enquiries instituted in the
matter failed to establish his guilt.
Later Monsieur Shahruzi, the Director of Imperial Southern Pos,ts visited
Lingah by air in this connection but returned to Bushire after a short stay with
out eliciting any result.
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