Report to the ... Zionist Congress and to the Council of the Jewish Agency in ... · 1935-08-01 · 8.1935 · p. Seite 304

diminution of agricultural labourers is the very notable fact that a considerable number of workers are transferring to agricultural work on their own account in already existing estates or new settlements. In the course of the last two years about 2,000 labourers (men and women) transferred from agricultural wagelabour to definite settlement on their own account. We may, therefore, calculate the number of those who during the past two years have gone in for agricultural wage-labour not as 1,000 but 3,000, because 2,000 have taken the place of those who have become settled on their own account. The shortage of Jewish labourers in agriculture, nevertheless, remains acute. The number of Arab labourers has appreciably increased. The enquiries conducted by us during the past few years show that there were then about 2,000 Arab labourers employed in the summer in Jewish groves. The census that was carried out at the beginning of September, 1934, showed, however, that 4,000 Arab labourers were already employed in Jewish groves, while the number of Jewish workers was 5,000 (which includes Jewish overseers and mechanics). The census of March, 1935, presents an even more disquieting picture. In an area of 90,000 dunam there were found to be 6,000 Jewish and 7,000 Arab labourers, and this area does not include the places with mixed labour. The colonies of Rishon-le-Zion* and Kfar-Saba could not be included in the census because the farmers declined to carry it out. If we estimate the number of Arab labourers in these two colonies on the basis of the census of August, 1934, and take the labour season into consideration, we can assume the number of 1,000 Arab labourers on their 14,000 dunam of plantations. The number of Arab workers in Tewish agriculture thus amounted in March, 1935, to 8,000 persons' The following comparative tables show the numbers of Jewish and Arab labourers in the most important colonies with mixed labour and Jewish labour. Number of Jewish and Arab labourers in the Colonies with mixed labour (according to the census of March, 1935, in agreement with the Farmers' Union). Jews. Arabs. 1. Petach Tikvah ... ...... 779 ... 2,963 2. Rehoboth ...... ... 848 ... 1,296 3. Ness Ziona ......... 343 ... 1,989 4. Hedera ......... 702 ... 618 * According to the census of September, 1934, there were in Rishon-le- Zion 189 Jewish and 403 Arab labourers. 304