The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-08-21
No Absentee Landlords.

No absentee landlordism' or specu-
lation in land; model villages planned
with an eye to beauty and permanence,
with all social values retained by the
whole community are aims of the new
settlers, who promise to show tangible
results in two years.
The commonwealth, which Is only
one agency for Palestine development
has already collected, previous to the
big campaign which is being planned for
me near future $500, 900 for the pur-
chase of lands, which are being acquired
sat cost Of from SIS to $50 an acre.
purchasers of land through the COM
monwealth buy only surface values"
says Mr.. Rosenblatt.
Large contiguous areas sufficient to
settle an entire colony are purchased
and Upper cent of the total Is set apart
for village. This 10 per cent remains
forever the inalienable property of the
whole community 1t may be leased for
homes, businesses, schools. etc, but it
can never be purchased Since these
are the lands which are likely to ac-
quire enormous values through no in
dustry on the part of the owner we
shall prevent the making of fortunes
through land speculations. There will
be no Marshall Fields in Palestine.
The lands which are purchased may
De used for agricultural purposes sole
ly II oil Is discovered, as 1t doubtless
win be- all the members of the com
munity Will profit, not merely the per-
son on whose land it is found.
Since lands are purchased under
these ,stipuations, business being con-
Quoted In communal lands only
It is possible for us to plan our vii
lagos. Patrick Geddes Of the Universal
~ OF Edinburgh, who is probably the
greatest city planner in the world, is
helping 10 design these villagese.
d, There will be no scattered farm
houses In Palestine, with the farmers
Maulng lonely lives, and their wives
often going insane from lack of com
as they do in Russia.
Little Land and a Living.
Each Jewish farmer will have a
mouse in the village. In our plans each
mouse Will be surrounded by at least
an acre Of garden so that the colonies
will be little garden cities The first
houses will necessarily be small. The
pioneers WIN have TO help build them
themselves, but they will be of white
stone, which is plentiful.
Around these garden villages we
shall plant groves of treea-olives and
almonds and oranges. We hope that
every Jewish farmer will own at least
I'VE acres Of such plantation.
~ Beyond this grove will be the farms
Where the colonists will grow cereals
oats and wheat We have discovered
new variety Of wheat that grows in
even the hot climate of Palestine.
All buying of seeds and marketing
of products will be done co-operativelv'
Possibly the farms will be worked CO.
/. operatively. since each man will have
' enough garden and plantation space
TO satisfy his desire to own something
which is completely his own.
IF we succeed we shall build colo
MES in which there is no poverty, in
which every man must work for what
he gets, and no man can gain riches
by luck in which every man will have
q home that is not only comfortable
but beautiful,
I'VE shall prove that it is not true
that the Jews are a race only Of trades
men, but that on their own soil they
can develop a unique and successful
agriculture.
"Of course, those colonists who are
leaving America, England and other
countries where they have the advan
tages of a civilization already attained
viii have a hard time. They are the
pioneers, But we shall not build up a
country on hit or miss pattern We
are planning to avoid as many as pos
slble OF the mistakes which have been
made before us.
Later there will be industrial de-
Nelopment. We must build roads. They
are more essential than railroads, for
transportation will be largely by auto
truck and automobile. Canneries will
have to be, built. Our first efforts,
however, will be concentrated on Great
ing sound foundation in a successful
agriculture. Palestine has many un
used resources. There is enough water