ملف رقم ١٢٨٣\١٩١٣ الجزء ٥ "التجارة في بلاد الرافدين، إصدار تقرير تجارة جديد" [ظ‎‎١‎٢‎٣] (٢٧٠/٢٤٢)

cones have only reappeared since the war, and are not liked. India cannot, of course, produce
sue-ar for Export for many years, chiefly owing to lack of up-to-date plant, the demand m
the country 1 and the difficulty of securing large and continuous supplies of raw material.
There would seem to be a larger opening in this trade for Britain than almost any other in
Persia With Mesopotamia open for great extension of trade after the war, the
the Gulf, will mount rapidly above 50,000 tons. It is no use trying to convert the Persian
taste to cubes • and British manufacturers, e.g., Messrs. Tate should be urged to put down a
smaU plant for cones, if possible before the end of the war, so that the trade formerly held
by Belgian and Hungarian cones can be taken over directly the war is finished. British
sugar refineries should have a British controlled agency for all the Gulf region, which could
tour and develope central markets in Peisia. ^
Rnnar crustal. E. A. R. G. crystals can be competed with, on fairly level terms, by
Messrs.^Tate's Britannia crystals. Two facts, which should be capable of adjustment, militated
against the import not being heavier in 1912-1913: (a) Messrs. Tate could not allot a
large quantity for this market; {b) their refinery had no agent working specially lor orders.
Hongkong crystals have come to the front a great deal since the war, and Mauritius can
supply smaller grain qualities, which will command a sale against thetsmaller grain Continental
brands. The expensiveness oE Mauritius sugar, which was noted m 1904), is of less importance
than the yellowness of its colouring, and the small size of its crystals as compared with t e
acid-drop whiteness and large crystals of the Austrian and English refined article Probably
Indian refined cane sugar would have the same blemish in local eyes. British refined sugar
ought from these three sources manage to gain at least a half share, possibly more, m the
Gulf and Southern and Western Persia trade.
Matches— chief want is a British-made sulphur match. The Persian peasant, and a
large proportion of town people will not use safety matches. The Residency have made stray
attempts to obtain samples of cheap British matches, but, without personal enquiry and
pressure in England, it is in possible to say to what extent, if any British-made matches
could be got to compete with Swedish in this market. It is a question that needs thorough,
investigation and report, before any recommendation is possible.
Earthenware and china. Glassware and windowglass. Hardware, cutlery, enamelware’
Scissors. Aluminium and copper cooking and other vessels. Metal manufactures,
including spade heads, ploughshares, pails, Persian weights and measures and scales..
Haberdashery, needles, sewing machines and many other small articles.
There is a possibility of development in all these lines.
Medicines. —Messrs. Burroughs and Wellcome have interested themselves to no small
extent, but they need a direct representative to travel all over the towns of Ears and stock
shops/ They have already begun to print the descriptions and methods of taking their
drugs, and the extension of distribution of such medicines is in the interest of Southern
Persia. There are also numerous household remedies, which command a sale, e.g., fruitsalts,
c astor oil, etc.
Velvets and plushes .—Efforts should be made to substitute British articles for the
German-made cotton-silks, which have been imported, even by British firms, like Ziegler
& Co. Bradford is apparently the manufacturing centre for these goods in the United
Kingdom. Some arrangement could probably be made in the associations in Bradford by
Manchester firms interested in Persia to get British-made velvets and plushes on to the
Persian market (Central Persia is of the greatest importance) before the war ends.
Boots and shoes, patent-leather, and plain black and brown .—The firm oi Bostock at
Northampton has a great name in this part of Persia: and with organisation, the sale
could be increased, especially in Shiraz and other towns of Ears. The nomad tribes in
particular, are very fond of coming into market far booiweax. At present, stocks are very
short, and cheap Indian shoes are supplying the want to some extent. Price is not a.
great consideration ", high prices are paid as a rule. The women in Bushire, at least, are
discarding the Baghdad boot, for European-shaped shoes.
Fancy suitings .—There has been an increasing demand for these goods of recent years
the youth of the town, in particular, wearing European-cut trouserings. Germany supplied
a considerable portion of these goods, known locally as “ Fast uni/" The same remarks-
as to organisation of sales in up-country centres apply as in the case of boots and
underwear. Not only the well-to-do as formerly, but even the coolies and servants buy all
sorts of European articles and affect a semi-European style. The standard of luxury and,
living has risen much in the past eight years throughout the country and more particularly in
the towns.
Paper .—There is an opening for some firm or firms to- organise sales of cheap writing
paper, especially for merchants, and for printing and wrapping paper, Italy and Austria have
been competitors, through India to some extent. The consumption in Bushire itself is not
very extensive, but, worked together with Shiraz, Ispahan, Kerman, Arabistan and provincial
centres, there should be an opportunity for considerable sales.