Jewish Upbuilding Work in Palestine Progressed During Year, Elias Epstein Reports

That the Jewish upbuilding work in Palestine continued to progress during the Hebrew year 5690, was related by Elias M. Epstein, General Secretary of the Jewish National Fund Head Office in Jerusalem who arrived here this week, preparatory to the forthcoming visit of M. M. Ussishkin, international Zionist leader and head of the Palestine Land Fund which is the largest single Jewish land owner in Palestine.

Contrary to prevailing impressions the development of Palestine has steadily continued during the year following the anti-Jewish Arab riots of August, 1929. The pace of progress was also continued by the Palestine Land Fund, Mr. Epstein stated, adding that during the year the Jewish National Fund had acquired 12,000 additional dunams of land and has contracted for a further area of 60,000 dunams, bringing the total of Jewish National Fund holdings in Palestine to more than 300,000 dunams. “The August riots had the curious effect of stimulating Jewish activities in various directions, principally along the lines of building new residential and commercial quarters,” Mr. Epstein stated. “Exports in the first five months of the current year increased from £676,000 to £989,000. Progress in the orange plantation zone has been matched by a revival of viticulture. The area devoted to grape cultivation has jumped from 1300 dunams in 1924 and 5600 in 1927 to 8,000 dunams in 1930. Another promising culture is that of banana growing,” Mr. Epstein concluded.