A program of industrial development of Palestine involving an expenditure of £;1,500,000 was announced today by the Jewish Agency for Palestine.
Dr. Emil Schmorak, director of the Agency’s economic department, issued an appeal to Jewish capitalists here to encourage industry by investing a part of the £;15,000,000 or £;16,000,000 deposited in banks.
Figures recently published here illustrate the growth of Jewish industry and trade in Palestine.
Total exports rose from £;1,554,000 in 1939 to £;5,020,000 in 1938 and £;4,061,000 during the first half of 1939. The extraordinary increase in exports during the decade is due to the enlargement of the agricultural base, increase in the area of citrus growing and the progress of electrification.
The Palestine Electric Corporation supplied 1,427,000 kilowatt hours to industrial enterprises in 1926, which rose to 20,180,000 k.h. in 1938 and 13,248,000 during the first six months of 1939.
During the first eight months of this year imports increased by 36.3 per cent over the corresponding period last year and exports increased by 22.8 per cent. From January through August imports totalled £;10,462,369, the increase being largely in purchases of grain, flour, iron and steel, attributed to war apprehensions. Exports totalled £;4,285,962, the increase chiefly in citrus and potash.
Imports from the United States more than doubled, bringing the U.S.A. from fifth to third place as an exporter to Palestine. Imports from the United Kingdom reached £;1,681,742, from Germany £;1,491,837, from the United States £;1,364,000, from Syria £;1,081,938 and from Rumania £;787,414.
In exports, 47.4 per cent went to the United Kingdom, with Holland, Syria, Belgium and France following far behind.
The Tel Aviv port surpassed Jaffa in discharged cargo with 116,000 tons against 93,277, while the Jewish port remained behind Jaffa in loading cargo, with 42,446 against 120,553 tons. The cargo tonnage, however, increased by 50 per cent compared with the same period last year.
Other Government statistics reveal the improvement of security conditions in connection with transportation within Palestine. The number of railway passengers rose steadily from 60,918 in June to 71,944 in July and 78,059 in August. Buses and small cars carried 4,831,000 interurban passengers during the first six months, compared with 4,123,000 in the same period last year. Service between Jaffa and Tel Aviv was resumed after more than a year’s suspension.
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.
