325 Out of 654 Settlers Remained; to Send 2,000 Next Year (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Despite the disappointing experiences encountered by the Ozet, the society for settling Jews on the land, in directing Jewish transmigrants to settle on the land in Bira-Bidjan, the colonization project in the Far Eastern province is to be proceeded with during the coming year.
This was the conclusion presented by the Ozet worker Raschkes at the All-Ukrainian Ozet conference here.
Of the 654 Jewish transmigrants who proceeded from all parts of Russia to Bureya, 325 remained there. The rest were compelled to leave because of the difficulties they encountered. Out of the 1,500 hectares area which was to be cultivated, only 125 hectares have been worked on. Two hundred horses brought to the settlement died in an epidemic of the Siberian plague.
The settlers suffered mostly from the rains and floods which prevented the erection of sufficient houses. Experience has shown that it is inadvisable to direct the settlers there before the land has been parcelled and duty prepared. The Ozet, however, Mr. Rashkes stated, will continue its work and plans to settle 2,000 in Bira-Bidjan next year.
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.
