690
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despatches Nos. 424 and 437 of 10th and 22nd August respectively, in which I informed you of the Persian Government's intention to concede the sole right of exporting opium to a group of Persian merchants, and of the subsequent abandonment of the scheme, at any rate for the time being, in view of the strenuous opposition of the smaller merchants and the cultivators.
2. It will be seen from the enclosure to Bushire despatch No. 25 of 19th October, addressed to you by His Majesty's Consul-General, a copy of which has just reached me, that the Chief Manager in Persia of Messrs. Ziegler and Co., is of the opinion that the project will be revived in the spring. It should be remembered in this correxion that apart from the political aspect of the question, to which I alluded in my despatch No. 424, the Monopoly Service has experienced the greatest difficulty in financing the purchase of the opium crop, particularly as it does not enjoy the con- fidence of the grower who would normally be disposed to grant a certain measure of credit to the old established merchant.
3. I note that the Singapore Monopoly will probably require 450 chests of Persian opium in 1930, but I am not aware whether Turkish or Indian opium would prove a possible alternative. If not, and should the concession referred to above become an accomplished fact, the Singapore Monopoly may well be forced to buy Persian opium at greatly enhanced rates. If the Singapore Monopoly must have this Persian opium, over and above the 1,200 cases to be supplied by Haji Ali Akbar, it might be well advised to sound its usual suppliers in the first instance, and that without undue delay.
4. It is of course possible that no private firm outside the Kazeruni-Behbehani combine will dare to assume any fresh contractual obligations. Ziegler are very anxious to secure what business they can, their Chief Manager makes Although Messrs. no secret of his diffidence in connexion with the Government of Siam's expected call for tenders (see the concluding paragraph of Bushire despatch No. 25), an attitude which Messrs. Haji Ali Akbar's experience last September would seem to support. (See the attached copies of two letters from Messrs. Haji Ali Akbar, one to the German Director of Finance and the other to a member of
my staff.)
5. Although the Persian Monopoly might not show the same disregard for straight dealing in its relations with the Crown Agents for the Colonies, the latter, were they to contract with the Persian Monopoly direct would certainly encounter a variety of vexatious difficulties in regard to morphine content, delivery, &c., which were best avoided.
6. Copies of this despatch have been sent to the Straits Settlements and Bushire
The Right Honourable
Arthur Henderson, M.P.,
His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State
for Foreign Affairs,
SIR,
217
Darvozeh Dowlat, Kheyabon Roodaki, THE undersigned being Managing Director of Messrs. Haji Ali Akbar & Sons,
Teheran, 7th September, 1929. Ltd., Manchester, established for 40 years in England, beg to bring to your notice that as direct contractors to the British Government, Colonial Office, London, we tendered for the Straits Settlements Government, Singapore, for 1,200 chests of Persian opium on the 29th Tir (20th July, 1929) and that our tender was accepted on the 2nd Murdad (24th July), shipment extending to 30th Esfand (20th March, 1930).
Needless to say that we sold these 1,200 chests (at £144 per case, c.i.f.) our price being based on the current Persian Government export tax, which according to law and notices should remain in force until the 30th Esfand (20th March, 1930).
Although we have a letter from the Ministry of Finance, No. 24868, dated the 24th Murdad (15th August), that the tax is the same as ordered and published on the 1st Fervardin (21st March, 1929) and we may ship our 1,200 chests until the 30th Esfand (20th March, 1930) yet we have just received a further letter from the Opium Monopoly Department, No. 11781, dated 9th Shahrivar (31st August) that the export tax is now as from the 1st Mehre (23rd September) will be increased by 23 [? 25] tomans per case! We immediately on the 12th Shahrivar (3rd September) protested and sent full detailed statement of our case together with certified copy of our actual contract to the Government Opium Monopoly Department. We beg leave to bring this affair to your Excellency's direct notice, trusting that justice will be done. It is impossible for traders to sell forward contracts, as we have done, if one cannot depend on Govern- ment laws. We shall claim our loss through this unjust action if we cannot obtain redress.
Would your Excellency kindly grant the undersigned an interview, so as to place our case more clearly before you rather than trouble you by further details in writing? The case being urgent we pray for an early decision.
Son Excellence
le docteur Schniewind,
Directeur-Général des Finances,
I have, &c.,
R. H. CLIVE.
DEAR SIR,
Teheran.
We have, &c.,
H. AGAR,
Managing Director
(for Haji Ali Akbar & Sons).
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
DEAR SIR,
The Foreign Office.
Darvozeh Dowlat, Kheyabon Roodaki,
Teheran, 7th September, 1929. Our contract for 1,200 chests of opium for the Straits Settlements Government, Singapore.
I wish to place on record a letter, as per enclosed copy, I have just addressed
to the Director-General of Finances, Dr. Schniewind, regarding the extra 25 tomans per case tax on opium exports as from the 23rd instant. This will actually involve
us in a loss of about £6,000! However, in the face of every difficulty and obstacle placed in our way, loss or no loss, we shall fulfil and carry out our contract to the letter of which also please take due note.
Darvozeh Dowlat, Kheyabon Roodaki,
Teheran, 19th September, 1929.
Re tax on 1,200 chests opium sold for Singapore. FURTHER to my communication of the seventh instant, I had a long interview at the Ministry of Finance with Dr. Schniewind on the fifteenth instant and could not convince him of the injustice of altering the export tax on opium in the middle of the year with only one month's notice, and as the time limit was near at hand, rather than face a heavier loss we have arranged and paid to the Opium Monopoly Depart- ment in advance the total sum of 262,500 tomans being the whole export tax on 1,200 chests of 140 bricks (of one lb.) to be exported as we wish by the twenty-first of March, 1930.
We beg you to take due notice of the above and place the facts before the home authorities.
Our loss of interest alone* amounts to 7,827 tomans. We are willing to place before you all the original documents in connexion with this matter if required.
Yours, &c.,
I have, &c.,
H. AGAR,
Managing Director
(for Haji Ali Akbar & Sons, Ltd.)
The Commercial Attaché,
H.B.M. Legation,
Teheran.
H. AGAR,
Managing Director (for Haji Ali Akbar & Sons, Ltd.)
!
The Commercial Attaché,
H.B.M. Legation,
Teheran.
*There seems to be no other.-E. R. L.
Reference
C.O.882/11
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
218
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