Report to the ... Zionist Congress and to the Council of the Jewish Agency in ... · 1935-08-01 · 8.1935 · p. Seite 334

The General Zionist Association applied to the Department for a. loan to the six families living in Chavatzeleth Hasharon in Emek Hefer, and the Department acceded to their request provided they submit a list of the applicants and all necessary particulars. The same association submitted a list of fifty families living abroad who desire to settle in Palestine, and of nine families -already living in Palestine, with a view to granting loans for their settlements. The Department replied that it was prepared to grant .a loan to the nine families living in Palestine, after examining their merits. As to the families living abroad, further investigations must be made with regard to the merits of each. Seven families from among the orthodox immigrants from Germany, who have some means of their own, applied for a loan to enable them to settle on the reserve land on the smallholding settlement of the Hapoel Hamizrachi in Sedeh-Jacob. After examining a list of the applicants, it was decided to grant the loan in conjunction with the Department for the settlement of German Jews. Apart from this, individual settlers in Kfar Baruch, Kfar Gideon and Emek Hefer applied for loans, and the Department has so far approved loans to the extent of <£P. 1,100. Up till now, the Department has approved loans of <£P. 11,000 to middle-class settlers, a part of which has already been granted, and the remainder will be granted after obtaining further particulars from the applicants. H.—Irrigation Companies. Although the consolidation of the existing grain-producing settlements has been completed, and they have been equipped with better means of income than the irrigated settlements by increasing the area unit per family up to 150 dunams, by doubling the grant for cows, by increasing the number of poultry-coops and by the •erection of silos for producing juicy food for cows—the Department found it necessary to mobilise funds from other sources for water prospecting for irrigation purposes in those settlements; if water were found it would improve their position and enable a larger population to settle there following a decrease in the area unit of land per family. Two water companies have been formed for this purpose : the " Gilboah " Company, whose aim it is to complete the irrigation work in the eastern valley of Esdraelon, and the " Emek " Company, which aims at carrying out new irrigation works in the Western Emek (the Kishon and Afuleh blocks). These two companies have succeeded in obtaining a loan of £P. 35,000 from the Imperial Chemical Industries in London with the help of Lord Melchett. The loan was granted for fifteen years at 5 per cent, interest. The Keren Hayesod is investing £P. 3,000 in these companies in addition to other investments in water enterprises which it had already made, and which were not included in 334