British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume I - Page 122

CHAPTER TV.

42. Railways and Harbours are operated by a Government department under a General Manager. (The ports were administered by the Customs Department until 1943 when they were transferred to the Railways administration). The department administers the Kantarar-Rafah railway and the Palestine railway (including the Petah-Tiqva railway) under the general designation of Palestine Railways; and, in addition, that part of the Hijaz railway which lies in Palestine and Trans-Jordan. It also administers the ports of Haifa and Jaffa (which administratively includes the Tel Aviv lighter port) and smaller ports. The Railways and Ports administration undertakes its own engineering works and the maintenance of locomotives, rolling stock and permanent way. There are up to-date engineering shops at Haifa.

43. The Director of Social Welfare administers not only a number of services in connection with the feeding of school-children and general relief but also the probation and reformatory school services. As regards social welfare his principal functions are to stimulate and assist local enterprise in the provision of adequate feeding arrangements for the less privileged sections of the community. There are, now, active organizations for the feeding of school and other children in most important centres in Palestine. There is under his administration an Arab and a Jewish reformatory school and an adolescents' camp at Acre. Provision bas been made for the establishment of a second boys' remand school in addition to that transferred from the Prisons administration (as noted above).

44. The Government Statistician is the principal adviser to Government on all statistical questions. He publishes a monthly bulletin of current statistics and an annual statistical abstract. He initiates and carries out statistical surveys of economic and sociological interest and in addition performs such ad hoc statistical investigations as may be required by Government. His office is equipped with modern machinery for statistical work.

The Government Statistician will be responsible for carrying out the census in 1946. The last census (directed by the Commissioner for Migration and Statistics who was then responsible for Government statistical work) was in 1931.

45. The Surveys Department deals with matters relating to survey, mapping, plans and cognate technical subjects. As has already been noted the department carries out the surveys in connection with land settlement. The Surveys Office is in Tel Aviv.

46. The Town-Planning Adviser is responsible for advising the Government and local authorities on all matters relating to town planning. As a members of The commissions constituted by. the

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