(J. T. A. Mail Service)
The obstruction of the settlement of Jews on the land in a Caucasian district through the obduracy of an outspoken anti-Semite is related in the “Emes” Communist Yiddish daily here.
Some time ago the district Soviet executive for northern Caucasia decided to allot four thousand desiatin land for the settlement of the Jewish inhabitants of the region of Stepanov, on the river Terek. The district executive also assigned 80,000 rubles for the irrigation of the allotted land. The entire preparatory work was conducted by the local Ozet committee.
When the actual work of preparing the land for the Jewish settlers was about to begin, the administrator of the government land in that district, Matziuk, objected, declaring that he was not in agreement with the decision of the district executive. Matziuk explained his position thus: “The Jews should not be given any land. It is economically useless and politically it is even harmful.”
The work was finally begun over Matziuk’s objections. But in the spring 12 tractors stood idle for two weeks before Matziuk’s consent could be gotten to conunence tilling the soil. Matziuk is still placing every conceivable obstacle in the path of the Jewish settlement.
The matter is being investigated by higher officials.
Max Levy, president of the Jewish Community Center of Staten Island, is the only Jew nominated by cither party in Staten Island. He is a candidate for District Attorney on the Republican ticket.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
