Directors Outline Plans for Developing Haifa Bay Region

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency Mail Service)

Plans for the development of Haifa, Palestine seaport, have been made by the Haifa Bay Development Company which was formed in Palestine about a year ago and is working in close contact with the Jewish National Fund, the Keren Hayesod, the American Zion Commonwealth, the Meshek, and other Palestine upbuilding organizations.

The two Directors of the Haifa Bay Development Company, Mr. Ephraim Kutzenok and Mr. Joseph Loewy, who are at present on a visit here, outlined the plans of the company at a meeting of Berlin purchasers of land at Haifa Bay.

The British Government is now proceeding to carry out its long-contemplated plans of economic development in the East, the directors stated. Included in these plans is the building of Palestine’s harbor at Haifa. The Government is constructing the harbor at its own cost, appropriating for the purpose a sum of £1,000,000 . The Haifa harbor is to be the export outlet for Iraq and it is intended to lay subterranean petroleum pipe-lines direct from the oilwells of Mesopotamian up to the harbor of Haifa. Naturally, big warchouses and factories will grow up around the harbor and a considerable beginning in that direction has already been made.

The Haifa Bay Company has purchased behind Haifa along the whole coast between Haifa and Acre an area of about 25,000 acres consisting of the most fertile soil in Palestine, especially fitted for intensive cultivation. In addition. the Company has about 12,000 dunam of land intended for bathing beaches and for laying out as gardens, and further purchases are planned. About 20 dunam of land at Haifa is sufficient to provide for a family of colonists. Dr. Soskin, when he was offered an area of 2,500 dunam for setlement according to his sceme of intensive cultivation. made every effort he could to obtain this land at Haifa Bay.

The Haifa Bay Company, however, does not intend to engage in ordinary land dealing. It is developing the area on the most up-to-date lines and is laying down a model system of communication. All the pools which are suspected of harboring malaria will be drained and will entirely disappear from the surface of the earth. The course of the River Kishon and the River Namein will be diverted with a view to winning a large extent of land for cultivation. Properly drained and well cared for, the area will be the most healthy in the whole of Palestine. A central water supply will be laid down, with special rainstoring appliances for intensive agriculture, and along the whole coast line between Haifa and Acre a big series of up-to-date Jewish agricultural colonies will be established, it was stated.