Report to the ... Zionist Congress and to the Council of the Jewish Agency in ... · 1935-08-01 · 8.1935 · p. Seite 292

V Branches. Members.. "Haoved" ............ 340 ... 11,294 " Hechalutz—Baalei Melacha " (Artisans) 71 ... 4,036 Total......... 411 ... 15,330 This movement has spread to other countries : there are 3,000 members in Lithuania, 600 in Latvia, etc. In addition to the prospective immigrants organised in Halutz: artisan groups, thousands of names have been registered at the Palestine Offices of skilled workers or people with relatives in Palestine. The causes of the growth of the immigration movement lie not only in economic or religious persecution, which is in itself a stimulus to immigration, but in the enhanced value of Palestine to the life of the Jewish people—the raising of the barriers between Palestine and the Galuth by the thousands of Jews who have already entered the country and who form a living link between Palestine and the Diaspora. Jews all over the world are aware of the economic position of Palestine, its agricultural development, the growth of its industry and its building trades, and this too moves, them to explore every avenue that may bring them to Palestine. VI. The Palestine Offices. A.—Following the resolutions passed by the XVIII Congress recommending the setting up of Palestine Committees by the Palestine Offices, detailed instructions were issued by the Jewish Agency as to the method of carrying them out. A circular was issued by the Immigration Department and sent to the Palestine Offices immediately after the Congress. It contained the following points : (1) The number of representatives of each party on the Palestine Committee to be proportionate to the number of votes cast for that party in the Congress elections in the country concerned. Any additional places available to be distributed among those parties that received the largest number of surplus votes. (2) The representatives of each party not to exceed 50% of all the members of the Committee. (3) Parties unable to send representatives to the Committee under the above formula to be allowed one delegate to act in an advisory capacity. (4) A representative of the Halutz organisation to participate in the Palestine Committee with full voting powers on questions of immigration and training. (5) The election of representatives of Halutz organisations to be carried out by the central committees of those organisations enjoying Congress recognition. Voting to be on the basis of the number of halutzim in training in each organisation one month before the Congress. (6) The Palestine Office recognises a permanent council consisting of 3—7 members, elected by the central committees of the Halutz- 292