How capital made available by the Keren Hayesod is solving the unemployment problem in Palestine by extending loans to various municipalities for public works for the general upbuilding of the country, is revealed in a report of the Palestine Zionist Executive detailing its colonization and immigration expenditures for the past four months.
During the past three years a number of Jewish suburbs have been established around Tel-Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa, largely upon land provided by the Jewish National Fund. These suburbs have needed a considerable amount of public works such as roads public buildings, etc., but have been short of the funds necessary for the various undertakings, which build up the country at the same time that they absorb considerable numbers of unemployed.
The Palestine Zionist Executive which administers the funds of the Keren Hayesod in Palestine, has extended loans to these various groups so that the growth of the suburbs can continue unabated and unemployment cut down to a minimum. For this purpose the Labor budget has been increased about $25,000 above the budget adopted by the last World Zionist Congress and will be further increased, when additional funds are made available through the United Palestine Appeal.
Tel Aviv will shortly spend over $100,000 on roads for its new quarters and to start the work at once a loan of $25,000 has been advanced by the Palestine Zionist Executive. This will give immediate employment to one hundred workmen. The new roads are also expected to facilitate the further growth of Tel Aviv. Another loan to Tel Aviv will permit the municipality to build additional sidewalks throughout the city. On this work ninety per cent of the labor will be furnished by girls. A loan to the garden city Ramath Gan between Tel Aviv and Petach Tikvah, will help build roads connecting the two colonies and permit further extensive home-building in the garden city.
In Haifa, now experiencing a decided building boom, a loan has been granted to a new suburb half way up Mount Carmel, which will enable the suburb to begin public works totalling over $35,000.
One interesting loan was made to a group of fishermen at Acco, who are attempting to re-establish the fishing industry in Palestine. The town has already grown from five Jewish families last year to over three hundred persons now. During the past three months three factories have been established–a match factory, brewery and tannery. The fishermen, numbering about sixty, were originally brought to Acco through loans of the Keren Hayesod.
The Labor Department through its loans is making special provisions for the development of employment for girls. In addition to the loan to Tel Aviv which will employ girls, employment groups of girls are being organized with an inspector in charge for laundry, paving and farmwork, the report stated.
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