Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-23

the Moslem inhabitants and the Jews
are very cordial, except as to a violent
dispute over the "Wailing Wall" of the
Jews, where 1t is their practice to weep
over the fall of Jerusalem and the
dispersal of Jewry. That wall Is claimed
by the MoSlems as part of the Mo-
hammedan mosque, and the Moslems
object to the wailing against their
mosque.
Agriculture has not yet attracted a
large percentage of the immigrants,
despite the fact that the greatest effort
has concentrated on stimulating farm
ing and stock raising. 1t Is recognized
that Jews, as class, do not seek farm
ing as readily as they do commerce.
According to the official census of 1922,
STA per cent of Palestinians we're living
in rural regions, but while the totsl
farm population was 339, 534, only 1912
farmers were Jews.
THAT Is not surprising" comments
Rabbi Simon. Its the fault of the
Christians. After the dispersal Of the
Jews. when Rome conquered and de-
stroyed Jerusalem, they were forbidden
to own land, forbidden to live on farms
and were crowded in ghettoes. where
they were forced to rely on peddling
few wares for a living. The influences
of centuries leave their mark. Yet how
could they have been other than farm
ers and have w;>.ten the Lord Is mJ
shepherd? Could they have been steel
manufacturers and have written about
turning the swords into plowshares and
spears into pruning hooks? The infiu-
ence of centuries has made them forget
that originally they were shepherds end
farmers and owners Of cattle upon the
hills. But in recent years many Jews
in America have gone back to farming
We have many Jews employed right
here in the Department of Agriculture"
Palestine contains $4,000 acres, OF
which about a fourth is tillable. OF
that area of tillable land all but 10000
acres requires irrigation. Palestine. ex-
tural products end $5,0o0,000 Of fruits,
especially oranges.
x II NJ
The great drawback to development
of Palestine lies in its heavy taxation,
especially upon agriculture. Even for
laborers the per capita tax amounts to
from $50 to $50 year, which is higher
than in so wealthy and developed a
country as the United States. 1t re-
quires an investment of from $4,000 to
$1,000 to establish a Zionist upon a
farm. equipped with home and with
live stock and tools.
According to an official Report of
the Joint Palestine Survey Commits
sion, made by experts who have studied
the situation for the last year. Palestine
agriculture has its drawbacks
There are weighty social and poiiti-
cal reasons for reducing the farm unit
in Palestine to the lowest. economic
limit. The smaller the farm the larger
the number of settlers who could BE-
cared for In a given colony. The result
was to reduce the size of the farm units
below what settlers require to keep
them occupied or to earn living. This
is shown in the demand for more land
In the practice Of renting outside land
and in the practice of working for
wages part of the time"
X "
Before the World War Palestine haH
no industries except the making q.
soap and wine. Under Zionist capital
cation 1t now has invested in textii
about S1,0O0,000: in
leather working, S350.000; in woodwork
ing. 100000: in building materials, So
O0O, 900; IN paper making. 100000: ;.
chemicais. 100000; in metals, $360. 900:
IN foodstuffS. $4,000, 900, and In niscel-
%AANdosAACos S6OOsOUU-d tOIdl III
vested In industries of more than $l0,-
O00, 900. giving employment to some
5000 wage earners.
Egypt Imports from Palestine annu-
ally about $30.000.000 OF woolens and
silks; Iraq takes an equal amount. and
Syria, $15,000,00 There Is said to
De great undeveloped chemical posi-
oilitieS in the Dead Sea.
Wages. both upon farms and In IN
dustries are low, as compared with
wages in America. although the Jews.
being more efficient workers than the
Arabs, receive higher wages than the
average. The average wage for farm
laborer Is 3 shillings pence a day.
about 81 cents-and in industry to
shillings day-from 81 to $1.75. Cost
Of living Is high. The oficial report
says: 'The marketing and distribu-
ton of products Is at present very cost
~. Further. the high cost of living Is
affected by the general, and in the long
run uneconomical. use Of credit. which
5 hsbitual throughout the Jewish COM
nunity for retail transactions"
lcoDyrisht 1928. hx Paul " CoLinsl