'Lord Curzon's Notes on Persia: About 1889-1890' [‎597v] (1215/1486)

2
TURKEY.
piastres. The following table shows the rates in piastres of the silver
coins before and after the depreciation: —
Piastre Yalue.
Description of Silver Coin.
Since
Before
April 3, 1888.
April 3, 1888.
Medjidic ..
28 £
19
Indian rupee
m
7i
Teheran kran
4!
3
Cbark „
4f
3
Spanish dollar
24f
16*
Its effects on
articles of
food.
Its effects on
wages.
Exports.
Wool.
Mohair.
Grain.
Dates.
In 1887, which w r as one of a series of years of scarcity due to bad
harvests, the ravages of locusts, and floods in the Euphrates and Tigris,
prices were abnormally high. In 1888, on the contrary, there was a
plentiful harvest; and consequently the prices of some necessaries of
life undoubtedly fell. In many articles, however, prices either re
mained at their former piastre rate or did not lall in proportion, for
the retail shopkeepers in general refused to lower them in conformity
with the change; so that on the whole the cost of living has risen
considerably.
The official classes and employes paid in medjidies, rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. or
krans have thus been considerable sufferers, both in household expen
diture and also in house rent, which being usually fixed in the nominal
piastre currency has adjusted itself to the new values given to this.
Employers have felt the change in that they have had to provide more
meujidies or rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. to pay a salary fixed in piastres, and in some cases,
but not generally, a revision of this wage has been made to their
advantage. Daily labourers have benefited, as they still receive the
same number of piastres which they can convert into more of the coin
actually current than they could before the issue of the edict.
The exports during the years 1887 and 1888 have been fluctuating.
In some articles there has been an increase, in others a decrease.
American buyers have shown an increased disposition to purchase
wool direct from Baghdad. At least nine-tenths of the wdiole clip of
Kurdish wool was shipped direct to the United States, principally on
orders from there, and the remainder w^as sold in London or Marseilles
for delivery at New York ; but not a single bale was sent forward on
buyer’s account, unless previously sold. The export of this article in
1888 increased 10 per cent over 1887, and between 12,000 to 15,000
bales were shipped to America, while in previous years only 3,000 to
4,000 bales went there.
In Arab wool the demand was not so brisk in 1888, and only about
2,000 bales went direct to America; still the whole of the remaining
clip was bought up for export to London and Marseilles.
The export of mohair in 1888 decreased 60 per cent as compared
with 1887, principally owing to the low quality of mohair from the
districts adjoining Baghdad being no longer usedun England.
The high rate of river freight by steamers at Baghdad prevented any
export of grain from this port, and only some small shipments to
Busrah were made in native sailing boats.
For several years there was a prohibition on the export of dates • but
in 1883 this was removed, and a large trade was done in them. The