British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume I - Page 458

CHAPTER XIII.

that year there were 13 licensed factories engaged in the manufacture of locally grown and imported leaf tobacco with an output of over 600 tons. Of these factories six were Arab undertakings and seven Jewish, the largest single factory being Arab.

47. The manufacture of intoxicating liquors was, under the Turkish regime, the responsibility of the Ottoman Public Debt Administration and continued so until 1923 when the administration was wound up. From 1923 to 1927, when the present Intoxicating Liquors (Manufacture and Sale) Ordinance* was promulgated, the system in force under the Ottoman Public Debt Administration was continued. Manufacturers were not continually supervised and materials were not prescribed. A board of assessment composed of officers of the District Administration visited the manufacturers' premises before the vintage and again afterwards. taking an inventory of the stock on each occasion. The difference between the two stocks was regarded as the quantity manufactured and the value was estimated for the purpose of assessing the ad valorern duty. When distilleries obtained raw materials for the manufacture of alcohol, the quantity of such materials was reported to the District Administration, the yield was calculated from the quantity of material supplied and the distilleries accounted for such estimated quantity of spirits produced. The introduction of the Intoxicating Liquors (Manufacture and Sale) Ordinance, which was desirable as much in the interests of public health as of revenue, brought under close revenue supervision all processes of manufacture of intoxicating liquors and the materials used. From 1923 the revenue from the liquor trade has been paid to the Department of Customs. The industry has developed steadily and in 1939 there were 18 distilleries, 15 wine manufacturers and one brewery. Production in 1939 amounted to 2,000,000 litres beer, 3,000,000 litres wine and 1,250,000 litres spirits, yielding a total revenue of £P.60,000. Of these industries six distillers and one wine manufacturer are Arabs, the remainder being Jews.

48. The production of salt was also a monopoly under the Ottoman Public Debt Administration and remained so until the introduction in 1925 of the Salt Ordinance, which brought the manufacture of salt under control and imposed an excise duty of 1.5 mils per kilo. Manufacture is under licence granted to two licensees, one Arab and one Jewish undertaking. Production in 1939 amounted to 7 ,000 tons, yielding an excise revenue of £P.11,000.

49. The methylating of spirits, introduced in 1932 by Jewish enterprise, necessitated the promulgation of the Methylated Spirits Ordinance ** of that year, controlling manufacture and imposing an
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* Drayton, Vol. II, page 794.
** Drayton, vet. II, page 925.

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