Intermountain Jewish news., 1926-01-14
CONDITION OF THE BRSSA.
RABlAN JEWISH COLONIES

nicb III pessAIuDla Is VlVloly uescrlDcu
in the following reports which have
just been received by Or. Henry Mos
kowitz, Chairman VI the Executive
Committee Of the ORT Reconstruction
Fund. DR.. Moskowitz. who recently
returned from European tour, visit
cd the Jewish farm colonies treated
in the reports, and finds that the con-
ditions prevalent are much worse to-
day than they were two months ago.
The reports como from the sxronom-
lists Of the Fslcshti and Wertushani
Colonies. Following is the Faleshti
report:
There are no seeds and consequent
ly nothing to sow. Yet even were
there seed, there would be little SOW
ing since only slightly over 2 MN. OF
rain have fallen in October compared
with an average Of 80 MN. during
the same month in the preceding
years. The ground is dry and hard.
and untillable. 1t is broken oaly after
FIVE efforts at narrowing. Yet despite
this there are some bold men, pioneers
in spirit, who are sowing what they
can, though perfectly aware that
there is only half chance for results.
The turnsole, which usually covers
one third Of the fields and is the main
source of income for the colonists, has
completely failed and the consequence
has been fatal. Winter whest, barley.
maize, hemp and fax have brought
only partial success and many farm
crs have had to sell their working and
productive cattle. There were forty
horses in this colony and eighty cows.
To-day there are five horses and twen-
ty cows. The animals have been sold
at sacrifice both for want of money
for food. and for fear that the har-
vest would yield insufficient fodder.
The ORT is doing all it can in this
emergency, but more extensive and
thorough going aid is needed. We are
supplying seeds and have raised the
normal for sowing in order to increase
the possibilities and to overcome the
delay in the sowing of the winter
crop.
From the Colony of Wertushani
comes the following report:
No longer do VIC see here the hay
ricks and straw-ricks which have char
actcrizcd this colony. Passing through
the farms one notices empty court
yards without even evidence of stalks.
There is not enough of these together
with high grass to heat one stove dur
ing one of the winter months. The
drought has played havoc with the
harvest. Winter wheat has yielded
but little, barley has produced neither
grains nor straw. Only those who had
sown tobacco have received some
slight support, but the price of tobac-
co is low.
There is no fodder for stock. The
agricultural population has sold its
cattle for trifiing sums. Barely two
months ago the colony counted sixty
horses and one hundred and twenty
cows. Today they count less than half
of this number.
There is no rain and the Garth has
risen in great pieces which cannot be
broken with q harrow or with a roll.
Some winter wheat has been sown,
but only because of inertia because
"the time has come" Some of the
seed is lying in the ground for the
past six weeks without any evidence
of life. Only some maize is growing
green, but this too will perish if there
is no rain shortly.
One of the worst results Of the bad
harvest is the enforced failure of the
parents to send their children to the
town schools. There is no money for
their tuition or keeping.
Every possible and conceivable ef-
fort is being made TO alleviate the
situation in order that the complete
ruin of the Jewish agricultural popu-
lation may be avoided. Considerable
sums of money, much beyond our
present means, will be necessary il
the situation is to be saved. 1t is in
dispensable that we help these young
Jewish husbandries live through this
difficulty. When this deplorablc state
is over it will be further necessary to
provide the colonists with better stock
and teach them more intensive Guilt
walton, so that another drought, il
and when it comes, would be less dis
astrous. If this is done, within time
the Jewish colonists will reach STATE
when natural calamities will moi
trouble them to SO great an extent.
.