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Jewish Influence On Arab Economic Life
LENOIR
MIRROR
COMPANY
Manufacturers and Revelers
of
High Grade
Mirror Plates
Office and Factory
LKNOIR, NORTH CAROLINA
Bedroom Furniture
MADE HA
AMERICAN FURNITURE
COMPANY
NORTH W1LKESBORO, N. C.
{Continued from page 17)
It is already becoming more and
more clear that in all districts coining
into close contact with constructive
activities of Jews and Government,
the economic system of the fellahin
loses its self-sufficient character and
is beginning to depend in an increas
ing degree on the disposal of its
surplus to the neighboring urban
markets, '’die demand for vege
tables, poultry, eggs, milk and
meat products has increased to an
extraordinary degree as a result
of the large Jewish immigration.
Only one example: according to
official figures the average supply of
vegetables principally bound for
urban markets rose from 15,000
tons in 1031 to about 50,000 tons
in 1034. Although all the Jewish
settlements are increasing their
production from month to month,
it is in no way possible for them to
begin to meet the demand. To
gether with tin* extensive import
of these products from the neigh
boring countries, new agricultural
centers of production for the re
quired articles have arisen in the
Arab villages around Tel Aviv,
Haifa and Jerusalem. The rate of
progress is obvious to all who knew
the villages in question in the past
and can now compare them with
what they were. The growing
objection of Arab land-owners in
these districts to sell rural land to
Jews is due not only to political
considerations for cultivation of
the soil in question now proves
itself a better proposition than even
its sale at the Irgh prices now pre
valent.
The intensifying of Arab agricul
ture which can so clearly be ob
served going forward in these dis
tricts, is, however, in no way limited
to the aforesaid products. The
area of newly planted orange groves
amounting to from 25,000.to 30,000
dunams per year, is about equal to
that of the new Jewish plantations
in 1035. The total area under
citrus in Arab hands is now 135,000
dunams, which is seven times as
much as ten years ago. To these
should be added the newly-planted
fruit-trees (stone-fruits, figs, olives,
etc.) as well as the general improve
ment in methods, which the example
of the Jewish farmer as much as the
efforts of the Government. Agricul
tural Department have brought
about. The use of natural and
artificial manures, which were not
common in Arab agriculture until a
few years ago, is rapidly increasing.
In many Arab orange-plantations
irrigation systems on the latest
California model are being installed.
The improvement of poultry stocks,
etc., is now the order of the day.
Though it is possible that in each
individual case it is d fficult to know
who may be credited with this prog
ress, and the part played by Gov
ernment initiative should in no
way be decried, there is no doubt
whatsoever that the financing of
this development derives to an
exceedingly great degree from Jew
ish land purchase. From October.
1920, until January, 1933, Jewish
land purchases amounted to about
500,000 dunams, for which the sum
of about £7,000,000 was expended
Of late years the scope of Jewish
land purchase has increased, al
though simultaneously the resale
of land within the Jewish com
munity has also grown so that only
a fraction of the total purchase
price has actually been expended
on new acquisitions. The total sum
for land that has passed into Arab
hands since the end of the War will
not be over-estimated at £10,000,000.
A considerable portion of tlu^
amount has been expended in the
coastal plain, especially for the in
tensifying of tin* vendors’ agricul
ture, as is easily shown by the big
increase in the area cultivated by
Arabs.
In consideration of the close con
nection between tin* progress of
economic life and the shape of public
finances, tin* figures regarding the
latter will also provide material for
our theme.
For years Palestine has become
famed far beyond its own borders
for its model financial position.
The surplus which frequently col
lected in earlier years became so
considerable of late years that by
the end of 1935 it was consider
ably more than £6,000,000—i. e.,
twice the regular annual income of
the Budget in former years. The
increase of receipts is found in
practically every item of the Budget.
The first place is taken by the in
come from Customs duties, thanks
to the tremendous increase in im
ports. Among taxes the agricul
tural taxes on yield, which are by
far the greater part of those borne
by the rural Arab population, arc
thrust completely into the back
ground by the income derived from
license fees and duties on the trans
fer of property.
Income from land transactions,
the Courts and the Post and Rail
ways showed a considerable in
crease. This development of Gov
ernment finances is for the greater
part, as the Government admitted
in its Reports, a direct result of
Jewish immigration and Jewish
activities. Although the Govern
ment adhered to the rigid policy
of hoarding its surplus to an excess,
a comparison of the expenditure per
head of the population in Pales
tine and the neighboring countries
shows clearly that all in all Pales
tine comes off far better than the
others. Were the quota to be taken
per head of the Arab population
alone it would prove still higher
than that of the average for the
country, for the greater part of
the Budget for Jewish education
and health derives not from the
Government Treasury but from
Jewish institutions. Here too any
comparison therefore shows clearly
the unequivocally better position
of the Arab population of Palcs-
(Please turn to page 20)
[18]
* THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE