An Open Letter From the Jewish Engineers in Palestine
A. Palestine is industrially an undeveloped country; its methods of production are primitive and unscientific; moreover, the scant industry of Palestine is controlled by non-Jews. The research studies made of the natural and mineral resources of the country are limited and inadequate; also the little of scientific investigation that has been done has not been done by our brethren. The Jewish public has no notion of the research work done, and in many cases even of the fact that it has been done. Hence, it is incumbent upon a professional man, coming to work in Palestine, that he have a broad general knowledge of the country and its potentialities, based on specific technical studies of conditions in the country—a truly encyclopedic treasure of information, which is next to impossible to possess, for one rcomino fram ahraad.
B. Jewish en repreneurs upon coming to Palestine found no institution to provide them with the necessary information concerning local conditions and the home status of the industries in which they were interested. They were, therefore, compelled to seek information of individuals and communal bureaus, that were themselves only inadequately informed, thus gathering data from divers sources, which was superficial and often self-contradicting. This confused state of affairs discouraged many prospective entrepreneurs, who finally abandoned their industrial plans for Palestine altogether, and those that did persist despite the difficulties met with failure in their undertakings, at a time that the very branches of industry in which they were interested thrived in the hands of the Germans and Arabs of Palestine.
C. Many individuals and public institutions, not finding the necessary authoritative information bureau to advise them, entrusted their undertakings to technical incompetents, notwithstanding that very often Jewish experts could be found in the country for the particular work. Every one of our technical men in this country was engrossed in his work in his own nook, without the public's knowing even of his existence. Jewish work in Palestine, owing to the fact that it was frequently done by incompetents, does not, therefore, come up to the standards of technical practice, and Jewish industry in this country does not come up to the level of that of the Gentiles. Jewish building work in Jerusalem, for example, is inferior to that of the Arabs.
D. The Jewish engineer in Palestine was always absorbed in his work and hard struggle for existence, and, lacking association with his fellow engineers, whom he might occasionally consult, was often compelled to turn out imperfect work.
E. Lacking a scientific institution to encourage and stimulate him to conduct scientific investigation, the Jewish engineer did not pay suflicient attention even to collate his own data which he gathered in his travels and experiences in the country. On the other hand, Jewish engineers who
process was ruinous. The effendi should get a fair price, but not a price representing the unearned increment of Jewish labor and capital applied to the land and the exploitable limit of the Jewish passion for Palestine. There
touched Palestine for research purposes had no bureau which to inform of their findings, and their data is lost to the people.
Due ve re F. Jewish engineers and business men, because of the lack of a well-regulated information bureau, frequently rely upon ungrounded information and suggestions, which from time tn time annear in tha nreec.
une ee dee “ G. Our young brethren who are preparing abroad for work in Palestine, on account of the lack of an expert adviser, often choose departments of science for their specialty for which there is no future in our country. Even the curricula of our technical schools, despite their having been planned by eminent European experts, are not adapted to the needs and industrial conditions of Palestine and its neiohhnrino rnnntriac
H. Jewish public and industrial institutions desiring to engage Jewish experts from abroad frequently erred in their choice of men unsuited for local conditions; this phenomenon had its bad effects on the industrial and technical development of the country.
I. During the Diaspora the discoveries and inventions by Jewish men of genius have not borne the national stamp of our people; others have gloried in our merits and achievements.
J. Recognizing the importance of the present historic hour and realizing that the industrial development of Palestine is now on the threshold of a new era, and, furthermore, desiring to remove the above-enumerated obstacles from our path, we, the Jewish engineers of Palestine, resolved to organize the "Jewish Engineers' Association," whose object it is to organize the Jewish engineers of Palestine and other countries for the purpose of:
1. Developing the industry and production of Palestine; 2. Collecting all the data obtained and to be obtained as a result of scientific research of the country; . 3. Coming in touch with our colleagues abroad in order to be informed by them of the progress of technical endeavor; 4. Encouraging the further study of our colleagues and improve their economic conditions; 5. Gathering data on Jewish industry and technical achievements as well as information about Jewish engineers and chiefs of industry the world over.
Our first meeting has elected a provisional executive committee, consisting of our colleagues Leon Stein, Nahum Wilbushewitz and Baruch Katinka. This committee will draw up a constitution for our association, communicate with our colleagues in Palestine and abroad, temporarily conduct our ofice, and also call for a general conference of all our members.
THE CHARTER MEETING OF THE JEWISH ENGINEERS' ASSOCIATION, JAFFA, PALESTINE.
Land and Landowners in Palestine (Continued from page 47).
is only one way of securing this: to give an institution representing the Jewish people the right to expropriate the great estates at a fair price. Of course, the interests of the cultivating peasantry must be safeguarded.