Bira Bidjan, Far Eastern Republic, where the Soviet government had planned to establish a Jewish republic, is now considered a prospective district for the development of general collectives with increased immigration not only of Jews, according to plans prepared by the Soviet land commissariat on the basis of the report rendered by a special commission sent to investigate Bira Bidjan in view of the repeated cemplaints and criticisms as to its mismanagement.
As a result of the investigating commission’s report the land commissariat declared that the methods hitherto used for colonizing Bira Bidjan have been unsatisfactory and recommends a number of important changes to improve conditions.
The land commissariat suggests that its immigration department together with the Comzet, government department for settling the Jews on the land, and other interested organizations introduce within the shortest possible time practical measures to secure the immigration of 50,000 working Jews to Bira Bidjan within the coming year.
Finding that immigration to Bira Bidjan has hitherto been conducted without a plan and with scattered and insignificant numbers which adversely affected the development of the region, the land commisariat recommends the concentration of colonization in the vicinity of the large Soviet colonies and that the establishment of industrial undertakings be made in the neighborhood of the collectives and the artisans’ and workers’ settlements.
Bearing in mind that in the past failure to prepare the land for the settlements and the neglect in organizing them hindered the development of Bira Bidjan, the land commissariat recommended that before the immigrants arrive houses be built and the land parcelled out so as to prevent the settlers from wanting to return to their homes. An increase in the number and an improvement in the quality of the immigrants is also suggested.
A last suggestion of the land commissariat’s plans for Bira Bidjan calls for the separation of Bira Bidjan into an independent administrative and economic center with its own district executive committee supervising. This recommendation is based on the fact that the existing system of organization cannot administer the growing problems of Bira Bidjan, including all of the aspects of economic life.
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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.
