ملف رقم ١٢٨٣\١٩١٣ الجزء ٥ "التجارة في بلاد الرافدين، إصدار تقرير تجارة جديد" [ظ‎‎١‎٣‎٢] (٢٧٠/٢٦٠)

In his opinion, if, after the war, the Germans are allowed to open offices^ here as before
the war this trade will revert to Germany and Austria again, if British piices do not come
down to’the level of German and Austrian. In his opinion, should a preferential tariff be
introduced between all British Dominions and Possessions, this will largely assist in keeping
the German cheap goods out of this market.
He exports both Dates and Wool; his Dates go to India, England, Australia and South
Africa, and his wool to France and England.
He also did a certain amount of business in suits of clothes, mostly with the Turkish
officials, and, on asking for prices from Germany, he had been sent samples ranging from 8
francs a suit to 80 francs; the cheapest quality was so well made that you could hardly tell
the difference from the more expensive, but naturally the life of the cheap suits was very
short.
S. M. Garibian.—His chief imports are in timber, tea, coffee, sugar, and piece-goods.
His timber came from Odessa by the Russian Subsidised line; it was white pine; the freight
was 14 fanes per 33 c. ft. Owing to this cheap freight, he was able to sell Russian Pine
25 per cent, cheaper than the Indian Serair wood, which comes from Singapore.
Previous to the Russian Subsidised line being on the berth, practically all the timber—
except date-boxes—-imported into Basrah came from Singapore. Of course, this does not cover
teak, which is used for building lighters and which comes from the Malabar Coast.
In saying that he has been importing Russian wood from Odessa, he wishes to explain
that the wood is not really Russian, but it comes from Austria, and is railed to Odessa. He
mentioned that practically the whole trade in Basrah in Singapore wood was in his hands
'while, dealing with wood from Odessa, the profits had to be divided between his firm and
another firm. Therefore, it was to his real interest to continue to make his purchases from
Singapore, and he had approached the British India, showing them that, against 14 francs
from Odessa per 33 c. ft., he could not afford to pay Rs. 35 per ton of 40 c. ft., from Singapore.
They, however, did not see their way to make any reduction, though, later, he tried to charter
a whole steamer from them. He quite admitted that a freight of 14 francs per 33 c. ft. from
Odessa to Basrah was absurd, but, on the other hand, he considered that the B. I. charge of
Rs. 35 per 40 c. ft. was too high.
He brought a certain number of date-boxes from Odessa, with a view to competing with
the Swedish wood which is entirely used for the date trade. The experiment was not a success.
The Odessa wood was not as good as the Swedish wood and tne price was so little less that
date packers preferred to use the Swedish wood. Should prices in Sweden, after the war, rise
and prices from Odessa remain, as they are, in his opinion, it is only a question of time that the
wood necessary for the date trade will come from Russia.
His tea comes from Calcutta by B. I. Steamers and he is quite satisfied with his treat
ment. Of course, at the present moment, owing to war conditions and the Army of Occupation
the trade has fallen off, but he really hopes, when times become normal, this trade will not only
regain its volume, but increase.
In his opinion, Tate’s Crystal sugar is the best quality on the market and, if the price was
only a little higher than that asked for Austrian and German qualities, Tate’s would have the
preference. Tate’s sugar had come on this market about 3 or 4 years before the war and the
demand for it was continually increasing, and prices sometimes compared very favourably with
the German sugar seeing that the quality was superior.
Morad Meer. —(E. S. David and Company, and Abdulla Elias and Sons, Manchester)
cloth merchant; his entire business is in Manchester piece-goods, which he brings out in
English ships, either direct or with transhipment in Bombay or Karachi; he prefers shipping
by direct boat, as the freight is cheaper and also his goods are less demaged.
Menashi -(Isaac Yahooda and Sons, Manchester) piece-goods merchant; he
agrees with everything that Morad Meer has stated.
Penhas Bekhore .— (Abdulla Elias and Sons, Manchester); he deals mostly in piece-goods
from Manchester and Bombay, and from Bombay in sugar, tea and coffee. The sugar really
comes from Hong-Kong; owing to the war, he cannot get Belgian sugar, but before the war
Belgian sugar was better than the sugar from Hong-Kong. His Bombay people used to make
contracts with Belgium for sugar and the sugar would arrive in Basrah on German and
Russian boats. His contract with the sugar people was on a c. f. 8f i. basis, and, therefore he
had nothing to do with what nationality of steamer brought the cargo, and he has no know
ledge of the rate of freight paid. The sugar he now buys from Hong-Kong, he believes,
comes from Hong-Kong—does not come from China.
They all consider though, without certain knowledge, that, as the sugar always came in
German boats, the freight must have been cheaper by those steamers than by British
steamers.
Ike sugar brought by Russian steamers are small Crystals, while that which came from
Belgium are large Crystals.
There is no demand for Tate’s cube sugar; all that is wanted in Basrah or Baghdad are
Crystal and loaf-sugar.