A Survey of Palestinian Industry: Railway Operations & Road Transportation in Palestine before 1948 (Nakba), a review of certain branches of Palestinian industry. British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume I - Page 515. Chapter XIII: Section 4:

CHAPTER XIII.

RAILWAY OPERATIONS.

No. of
Tonnage of Tonnage of Tonnage of passengers
goods imported exported (exclusive of
carried goods goods season
tickets)
I tons I
47,061
80,052
110,277
I 246,584 I /u\

1942/43

1943/44 1944/45

,v93,4 2,302,493 2,589,036 2,231,001

258,871 423,490 620,328 423,323

246,584 356,605 230,675 280,333

2,127.552 2,390,363 2,951,988 2,883,821

ROAD TRANSPORTATION.

No. of passengers I No. of passengers carried Intra-urban carried inter-urban

Tonnage of goods transported

(thousands) I (thousands) tons
1939 49,671 11,483 468,253
1940 55,336 14,800 482,825
1941 69,838 22,129 627,727
1942 90,354 I 29,638 733,028
1943 114,498 36,625 665,641
1944 130,287 38,592 653,477 Although the volume of freight carried by the railways in 1944 considerably exceeds that moved by lorry, the comparison was not so unfavourable to road transport in 1939 and 1940 before the railway traffic began to reflect the special conditions arising from war circumstances.

The above tables suggest that industry was well served with transport facilities; they also serve as an indicator of increased commercial and industrial activity.

G. A review of certain branches of industry.

129. The following general observations on a number of the more important industries tend to demonstrate the degree to which Palestinian enterprises have been able, during the war years, to consolidate their position. This extension of production has principally centred upon those commodities which have not necessitated the import of new machinery, but yet they have been able to fill the gaps in production revealed by Palestine's enforced isolation.

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