25
[This Document is the Property
His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[27745]
No.
C
[August 4,914
SECTION 3
REGE 8 SEP 10
Mr. Marling to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received August 2.) (No. 22. Commercial.) Sir,
Gulahek, June 18, 1910.
I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith copy of a despatch which I have received from His Majesty's consul general at Bushire, forwarding a memorandum on the export of opium for the period 1908-9 and 1909–10.
It will be seen that the value of the opium exported from Bushire last year amounted to 102,908., as compared with 191,2477. in 1908-9, and I fear that a continued decrease in the customs receipts on that article must be expected.
1 have, &c.
CHARLES M. MARLING.
Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
(No. 34/1313.) Sir,
Consul-General Cox to Mr. Marling.
Bushire, May 22, 1910.
I HAVE the honour to forward, for your information, a memorandum on the .export of opium for the period 1908-9 and 1909-10, drawn up by my consular assistant, Mr. N. Worrall, in the absence of His Majesty's vice-consul.
The last report on the subject was forwarded to you under my No. 7/16, dated Shiraz, the 17th September, 1908.
It will be seen that the export is steadily declining.
I have, &c.
P. Z. COX, Lieutenant-Colonel,
British Resident in the Persian Gulf, His Majesty's
Consul-General for Fars, de.
Enclosure 2 in No. 1.
Memorandum on the Export of Opium from Bushire during 1908–9 and 1909–10.
Introductory.
THE principal details worthy of note during the period under review, especially for the year 1909-10, are, firstly, the enormously enhanced prices for Persian opium now ruling in China, and, secondly, the fact that a large proportion of it now for the first time takes the Ahwaz-Mohammerah road from Ispahan and district in preference to the time-honoured Shiraz-Bushire route. This is of course due to the fact that for
a long time past there has been a total lack of security on the Shiraz road.
Assuming the £ sterling to be equivalent to 50 kraus for purposes of calculation--
In 1907-8.
In 1908-9.
In 1909-10.
Bushire ..
Mohammerah
Bunder Abbas
Kermanshah
111
208,612 112,252 18,857 87,687 10,085 44.620
exported
17
£ 240,038 5,784 9,275 81.002
£
336,044
Total (with Kermanshah)..
13.429
64,796(app.)
281,624278,164(app.)
Taking the average Kermanshab export for the preceding three years, namely, 64,7961., as the approximate value of the 1909-10 export in the absence of exact figures,
[2860 6-3]