The Washington herald., 1908-09-06
PALESTINE TRADE IS SMALL
Consists Mostly in Supplying Needs
Of Tourists and Pilgrims.
Production in Narrow Lines and
Exchange with Outside World
InSignificanr.

The following statistics covering the
trade and industries Of Palestine are
taken from the London Economist fur
nished 10 that journal by q Jerusalem
correspondent under date Of June s. 1865,
who quotes largely from the British con-
sui at that place.
Palestine is a small country and con-
tains no large towns. and its trade chiefly
consists in supplying the wants Of 6.o0
tourists and 1900 pilgrims. who visit
Jerusalem yearly The consul. in his Te-
port for 1s17. estimates Jerusalem at
s90J1. Tafa. 41.000 GAIA. $780, Nazareth
% 90. Hebron. 1900
Nazareth Is in Palestine. but its port
TIaifa- is not which IS an inconveniene
arrangement The population, too, is 81
most entirely agricultural. and in Jer1-
salem many Of the Jews 1--we on charity.
so there Is not as yet very much scope
for trade. For 1907 The imports at Yafa
were a little over es01. coo CS3 200, the
exports something under half a million
sterling 81. ss3 25O GAIA. the only other
port. imported e69-2 -2H9 tS335.I629 and ex-
ported Es9l0 Csz4T79 But the Tafa
figures have nearly doubled IN the last
i've years and there are prospects Of
considerable elasticity
The consul remarks During a recent
Sourney TO Gaza was struck by the fer
+Iity OF the country. Even along the
coast where the sand dunes driven by
the wind are apt 70 encroach on the
land. fertile soil is found al no great
depth In average years the crops Of this
productive tract. which extends as far
as Kan Younis on the Egyptian boundary,
allow % an export Of barley, chiefly 10
The United Kingdom. Of from &210,oG 10
$4,000 CSs-sSo0 TO s--216.e2) in value
As in ancient days. the Plain Of Sharon
Is renowned for fertility. The consul
says The increase Of population has nat
1IraIIy brought about a considerable aug
uentarfon of the imports. One reason for
The large increase in the value Of trade
last year was the rise in the prices of
the commodities
Yafa's largest import IS cotton goods
s2S7.6T1 CSl. .362- $50. Tobacco, hardware,
timber. sugar. rice. -four. iron and Pc
1roIeum are moderately large items The
backward state OF manufactures is shown
by machinery only amounting to about
eS.500 ISIS. .sS9i. but none at al was i'm
ported FIVE years ago As might De ex-
pected- oranges lead the expOrts-e179.1 IS
CSS72. .eg3} Soap IS half as much. and Sc
same rather more than half Of soap.
Wine amounts TO e32S50 (S1s473D- Re
ngious articles come ffth-eZ2 90 (Sll2,-
12D- These are chief Industries OF Beth
lehem- TIE tonnage Of Tafa Is vel under
q million. but 30 per cent more than IN
1913 It is. however. half as great again
as the combined trade Of Haifa- Acre.
and Sidon- Gaza's import figures VIII
probably increase. as a German line IS
establishing al agency there Its largest
item IS e1s.000 (92.45D in Manchester cot
ton goods.
In two years railway VIII be cOmplet-
ed from Haifa. through Nablus 10 JeTu-
salen. which VIII make Haifa an i'm
portant railway terminus. though il VIII
be necessary 10 expend a good deal on
the excellent natural harbor Of that port
Goal IS believed to exist near the Dead