The Maccabaean

HAIFA is a Palestinian coast city situated at the foot of the Carmel ranges, for which one may expect a brilliant economic future. The city lies in a mountain-protected ocean inlet, which forms a natural harbor. To-day when the harbor facilities are the most primitive imaginable, and when a large part of the fertile back-lands are not at all colonized and very little built up, the total commerce of 'the harbor amounts to abou six million francs.

During the past year, the Hedjas railroad, the great railroad connection between Asia Minor, particularly Syria on the one nand, and the Western part of Arabia on the other hand, has almost been completed. Thereby the Eastern Jordan land, famous in ancient times on account of its fertility, has been opened up and a convenient connection made between the territories crossed by the railroad and the Mediterranean Sea. Haifa has been united to the Hedjas railroad by a branch line, and thus constitutes a natural Mediterranean terminal of the Hedjas railroad. In the very near future Haifa will also be united by a railroad with the fertile region of Nablus and with Jerusalem. This city will develop into a commercial centre of the future Palestine and into Arabia's industrial gate.

Haifa can be described as the harbor city of the Hedjas railroad. In recognition of this most advantageous geographical situation of the city, the Turkish Government has for some time been considering the improvement of the harbor of Haifa, with a view of making it four times the size of the harbor of Beirut, which up to now, has been the most important on the Near Eastern Coast. Owing to a lack of means, this project had to be deferred until the completion of the Hedjas railway. Since

this is about to be accomplished, and since there has, furthermore, come into power in Turkey a modern government guided by intelligence and care for the economic and cultural development of its domains, the actual building of the harbor is to be expected in the near future. The concession for this purpose has already been given out.

Haifa numbers to-day only 20,000 inhabitants. It possesses a colony of Germans, principally Wuertemberg Templars who have to some extent, impressed a modern character upon the city. They earn their livelihood principally through agriculture (viticulture) and are, on the whole, in a favorable economic situation. It is in view of the important role which the city is destined to play in the economic life of the future Palestine that it has been selected as the site for the location of the Jewish Technical College, which is about to be built, although the Jews now dwelling in Haifa stand upon a low economic scale.

Another item of importance in estimating the future of Haifa is the favorable climatic conditions which prevail in the city and particularly uopn Mt. Carmel towering above it. Upon the slopes of the mountains, there has developed a cluster of villas, where wealthy Syrians, Palestinians and Egyptians seek refuge from the heat which, during the summer months, prevails on the plains. The climate which consists of a combination of sea and mountain climate, has, furthermore, a healing efficacy. Since in other sections of the country, as in the Orient in general, where are frequent cases of malaria, the chronic form of which is treated by means of the fresh air cure, this is the proper place for a sanatorium for the care of chronic patients, especially those