Palestine Land Transfer Restriction Ordinance Enacted: Signed Gazetted and Promulgated All in One Da

Stringent regulations, probably making land transfers in Palestine most difficult, are being enforced for one year under a “Protection of Cultivators Ordinance” enacted, signed, gazetted and immediately promulgated to-day, because in the judgment of the Acting High Commissioner it is “indispensably necessary in the public interest”.

Under the new law “tenant” means a person who has cultivated his holding at lest for two years under agreement with the landlord, paying a fixed rental in money or kind. It includes a person hired for agricultural work who is receiving as remuneration a portion of the produce of the holding he cultivates. It includes also the heirs of the tenants.

Instead of merely notifying the District Commissioner regarding land transfer, the landlord must hereafter declare the object of the transfer and no order of eviction may be made unless the court is satisfied that provision is being made for the tenants or occupiers, Only failure to pay rental or to cultivate the land can justify eviction, in which case the tenant is not entitled to compensation.

Unless the High Commissioner is satisfied that equivalent provision is being made towards the livelihood of the evicted tenants the court cannot evict grazers who have continuously for five years, by right, custom, usage, or sufferance, established their grazing rights.

Restrictive legislation on these lines has long been expected, but surprise is expressed that the order should have been published on the very eve of the return of the High Commissioner, Sir John Chancellor, who is expected to arrive here on Monday, without waiting over the week-end until he has resumed his official duties.