Report to the ... Zionist Congress and to the Council of the Jewish Agency in ... · 1935-08-01 · 8.1935 · p. Seite 371

ment. The sufferings and losses of the settlers who were obliged after many years of hard work to walk for miles with their cattle to find a supply of water for their household and stable, are indescribable. It was obvious that a fundamental hydraulic and geological research could contribute towards finding some solution to this enigmatic problem, as to whether there are prospects for an adequate subterranean water supply or not. There was a lack of geological scientists in the country at the time. Although the Zionist Commission brought over a geological expert from the United States after the War, he was too preoccupied with the broad outlines of the problem to enter into the details of this puzzling question. Recently, however, the Department succeeded in obtaining the expert opinion of Dr. Piccard, the geological expert of the University, regarding the subterranean geological layers, and also of Mr. Block, the geological adviser of the Palestine Government. Their opinions, which held out good prospects for adequate water supply, dispelled to some extent the persistent doubts of the settlers. Unfortunately, owing to a lack of suitable machinery, there had been no possibility of commencing deep boring operations. Only recently, after suitable boring machines had been manufactured in the country and some imported from abroad, have boring operations on a large scale been commenced in the settlements of Karkur, Jabneel, etc., which suffered acutely from a lack of water, with highly satisfactory results. The joy was shared by the whole population, and feverish boring operations have now begun in all dry districts. In 1933 two experts arrived from abroad, Dr. Walter Stern and Dr. Loewenberg, who promised that with the help of special surveying methods they could establish the depths of subterranean water layers. This system, called " Geophysics," has recently been adopted throughout the world, and by means of it the raw materials to be found in the subterranean strata (petrol, coal, water, etc.) are determined. Although the public's attitude to the new method was sceptical, the Department concluded agreements with the aforementioned experts with regard to water prospecting in most of the settlements in the Emek, which were followed by agreements with various companies and individuals. The first tests have not yet produced the desired results. The partial failure is attributed to the imported machinery, which was not altogether appropriate for the purpose. In addition, the experts have not yet acquired full knowledge of the geological strata and the manifold surprises afforded by Palestinian soil. The prospecting work is, however, proceeding uninterruptedly and actual boring operations have already commenced in some places, as indicated below. Dr. Walter Stern, with the help of two capitalists from Germany, managed to form a Geophysical company with a capital of £P. 10,000, and established a research station for the improvement of the machinery to fit the machines to the special local m