The colony council of Petah-Tikvah, founded in 1878 and known as “the mother of the Colonies,” is to be turned into a municipality. There are now some 16,000 inhabitants in this colony, and the total area of its orange-groves and plantations is about 45,000 dunams (roughly 11,000 acres).
This decision was communicated to the Petah-Tikvah Colony Council by the District Commissioner for Southern Palestine, and formed the subject of a discussion at a meeting of the Council this evening. The members adopted a resolution stating that “prior to deciding upon a transition to municipal status, we specifically declare that our decision in this matter cannot be interpreted as contrary to the resolution of the Elected Assembly of Palestine Jewry that the Jewish community in entirety opposes the creation of a Legislative Council in Palestine, and we once more affirm our solidarity with that resolution.”
The question of Petah-Tikvah’s change from local to civic status has long been under consideration, and its merits have been pressed upon the Government for a considerable time. It has always pointed out as anomalous that Petah-Tikvah, with a large and growing population, should continue to be relegate to local council status with limited powers, at a time when such towns as Khan Yunis or Mejdel or Beit Jallah, in reality large Arab villages, and others with but half the population, planted and settled area, and civic interests, should be municipalities having their own mayors. The authorities have now realized the justice of the demand.
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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.
