Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1407

 FINANCE — PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRY — COMMERCE 1355

District Courts, composed of one British and two Palestine Judges in Jerusalem, Jaffa, Haifa, Nablas aDd Nazareth, which hear appeals from the Magistrate's Court and try more serious civil and criminal cases, going round the district as a Court of Assize ; and a Court of Appeal in i that

sits in two chambers. In addition, there are Mohammedan Courts in ever)' town, and Councils of the Sheikhs of the Arab tribes in the Beersheha dis- trict, Jordan Valley, which judge cases according to tribal custom. The Jewish population submit many of their civil cases to Arbitration Tribunals. There are 23 such voluntary Tribunals in the different Jewish villages and quarters, with a rota of 245 arbitrators ; and an appellate Trib-.: Jaffa.

Finance- — Fof the year 1921-22 the receipts were estimated ai £K2, 214,074, and the expenditure at £E2,286,1S3.

The main heads of revenue for 1921-22 were customs, £E449,0O0 ; house and land tax, £Kl 20.000 ; annual tax, £E34,000 ; tithes, £E375,000 : domains, £E24,000 ; and stamp drties, £E15,000.

Production and Industry.— Palestine is essentially an agricultural rv. In 1920-21 the area under British Administration, exclusive of Trans-Jordania, produced :— "Wheat, 62,897,017 kilos ; barley, 27,233,943 kilo3 ; millet, 30,352.916 kilos: grapes, 5,490,306 kilo's; olive oil, 6.70A, 059 kilos ; melons, 16,351,022 kilos ; and lentils, 2,724,635 kilos. In 1920-21 there were in the country 262,400 sheep. 271,750 goats, and 9,000 camels.

Limestone is found all over the country ; sandstone abounds on the coast ; gypsum of good quality is found at Mount Usdum and at Mount Gipsia near Melhamia. Rock salt abounds in the Jordan Valley and on the shores of the Dead Sea, where also sulphur is obtainable. Mineral oil is said to have possibilities, but pending the ratification of the Mandate no work on concessions is permitted. The Dead Sea is about 1,292 ft. below the sea level, and contains cooking salt, carnallite, and bromide. There are medicinal springs near Tiberias.

The only industries of export importance are those of wine-making in the Jewish Colonies, especially Zichron Jacob, Uishon le Zion, and Petach- Tikvah ; soap boiling in Nablusand Haifa ; olive oil in Nablus, Akka, and the district round Jaffa.

The Government is making efforts to re-afforest the country ; in 1918-19 369,000 trees were planted, and the budget for 1919-20 provides for the planting of 1,820,000 more.

Commerce. — For the year ending March 31, 1920, amounted to £E4,191,060, and the exports to £E773,443. The trade was distributed as follows : —

the imports

Countries

Great Britain Egypt. • France. Italy. Greece. Netherlands India

Imports

£E

1,204.682

999,433

115,267

81. 4 ST

40,530

840,593

211,056

Exports

£h

92,059

546,759

20,488

15,125

CO, 004

9,434

134

Countries

Japan.

United States. Anslralia. Other countries By parcels post

Total. .

Imports Exports

±E 315,246 197.579 148,281 244,593

3,164

4,191.060

74,448