The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-09-09
EXPERIMENT in
CONTRACTS FOR
ROAD BUILDING
British in Palestine Let
Work to Jewish Workers
Organizations.

! Jerusalem, Sept. Am interesting
experiment is being made by the Brit
iSh administration in Palestine in con-
nection with the construction of
public highway running close to Lake
Kinereth (Sea of Galifee) from Semach
! to Tiberias The contract has been
! let to the Jewish Agricultural Labor
! ers' Organization which assumes all
| financial responsibility. If the exper-
iment proves satisfactory it may lead
, to other contracts with the Jewish Ag-
| ricultural LaSorers' Organization, in
Guiding the construction of the great
ir~iga .don works planned for the Jor-
dan Valley.
| AS this is the first time that a jew
iSh Lajbore-s' Organization has UNDER
taken a contract for public works, all
Palestine is interested. The Zionist
; Comm ission cc-operated in the nego-
netiops which resulted in the contract
and found the money for the prelim-
| mary financing of the project. The
work is administered by a committee
| of three representing the organiza-
! ton and two additional members of
! the committee are TO he chosen by the
actual laborers, some 400 in number
who, in addition to their days wage
ere to share in the profits; on the
| other hand they are also to bear a
gro portion of the losses, If any, a Ger
tain percentage of their pay being
, held in reserve to meet such a contin-
gen"y. Social welfare work, of the
kind that has become familiar in
America, WY be conducted by a spe-
cial committee which will conduct
classes and ci1culative library. The
American Zionist Medical Unit will be
in charge of the sanitation of the labor
camp and the health of the workmen.
A wor'kmen's council will be elected,
and court for the adjudication of
differences which may arise - veen
the workmen.
Adding to the interest in this exper-
iment is the fact that this is the first
time that Arabs and Jews will work
side by side. On the initiative of the
Arab Club of Tiberias part of the
operation will be carried out by 80
Arab 1aborers who are to receive the
same pay and benefits and assume
workmen.
One Of the first reforms by the new
civil government was the abolition
of the press-censorship which had
been so rigidly enforced by the
British Military Administration of
Palestine. This was announced at a
reception to publishers and editors
given by High Commissioner Samueis
WHO ICiu me a5SeInDled newspaper
men that the censorship was re-
moved not only because he deems it
unadvfsable to restrict the press, but
also for the reason that a censorship
furnishes the press with too much
protection. Whatever is passed by
the censor is published with i'm
punfty," he explained land If the
censor passes news that should not
have been passed, the press is free
the press will be deprived of this
protection"
In place of the censorship the high
! commissioner proposed the reinforce
; ment of the old Turkish law which
| requires newspapers to put UP
| bond as a guarantee of good faith,
and he fixed the bond at SO pounds
! The newspapermen accepted this
i proposal But some of the publishers
| there was no hurry about putting up
! the bond. They know differently now,
/ however.
/ On July 25th the high commission
! err forbade the publication of a num-
| Der of publications including the
! "Jerusaiem Gazette an English
| weekly which has been pursuing the
sasne micf1ievous policy as its pre-
| decessor THE Jerusalem News'-
which was proclaimed it's purpose to
be no less lofty than "the promotion
| of goodwill between America and
Great Britain but which occupied
| itself, first as it's suppressed sue
cessor was, in instigating Arab OPP
position to the development of Pales-
tine as the Jewish Homeland.
Much mystery attaches to the
financial backing of the News and
| ss(xa re- ha "a
| News was furnished, so Il was al
legged, by q group of Americans. tie
editorial policy irled many Aneri-
! cans in Palestine, among them Prof.
William Worrell of the Hartford
Comm Theological Seminary who
was SO outraged by it's comments on
the Easter Day riots, when it sought
to hold the Jews responsible for the
pogroTn that he issued a statement
declaring that the Jerusalem News
did not represent Inerican state
ment or opinion.
The Gazette is pursuing the
same tactics on magnifed scale
Its editor A. G. Evans, an English
man delivered speeches to the mobs
in Damascus during the disorders
that followed the French ultimatum
stand firm for a united Syria in
Guiding Beyrout, Damascus, Bagdad
Aaden and Palestine.
! The traditional picturesquenoes OF
Jerusalem Gin other words it's squa-
| lor. nocturnal gloom and lack of the
thoroughfares) is doomed. The mu-
nicipality has decided upon the
! widening and paving of five of the
narrowest streets Of the inner city
| and it is expected that it will sane
ton a project for electric stree
/ lighting, which, if adopted, will be
i completed within a period of si1
cnths. The Dear Hayom," the
| leading Hebrew daily has begun g
Clean Up the City" campaign. Here
is an extratc from a recent editorial
Nothing has been accomplished BY
| the municipality. The streets ars
| sill covered with dust, there are nc