British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume I - Page 116

CHAPTER IV.

system is administered by the Vaad Leumi (General Council of the Jewish community), to which Government makes an annual grant and whose budget is subject to approval by the Director of Education. (Vide the second paragraph of article 15 of the Mandate). The Department is controlled by the Director, with a Deputy Director, both British, Assistant Directors (Palestinian and British), a few British specialist officers and a Palestinian Inspectorate. There is a Board of Higher Studies consisting of about 40 official and non-official representatives of all branches of secondary and higher education and of the various communities. It conducts three public examinations, matriculation, intermediate and final. The Government trade school (Arab) at Haifa and the Kadoorie agricultural school (Arab) at Tulkarm are run by the Education Department.

24. The Department of Forests is responsible for the development of the extensive area of state domain gazetted under the Forests Ordinance, 1926 * as forest reserves (327 reserves consisting of 807,226 dunums in 1945). The activities of the Conservator comprise not only the conservation of natural growth and tree planting and control over the use of forest produce but general soil conservation measures in a broad sense. There are forest stations and nurseries in suitable areas throughout the country. The Conservator is chairman of the Soil Conservation Board which includes official and non-official members.

25. The Department of Health is responsible not only for general health measures affecting the country as a whole (Public Health Ordinance, 1940 ** - epidemics, sanitation, the reclamation of land to prevent malaria, etc.) but for the administration of hospitals and clinics. The Director of Medical Services is assisted by two Deputy Directors, one of whom is in charge of the Government laboratories, a Specialist, a Government Chemist, 2 Sanitary Engineers, 4 Bacteriologists and a qualified medical staff of approximately 80 officers for various branches of the department's work, with the requisite subordinate staff. There are 10 Government hospitals (including 2 for infectious diseases) and 3 Government mental hospitals. The quarantine service is operated by the Department.

26. The Director of Medical Services is responsible for the administration of the Trades and Industries (Regulation) Ordinance, 1927 ***, under which 29,000 establishments are licensed and under control in matters pertaining to public health. He is also
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* Drayton, Vol. I, page 710.
** Vol. I of 1940 legislation, page 239.
*** Drayton, Vol. Il, page 1454.

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