British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 539

CHAPTER XIV.

in 1943/44, £P.4,703,148 in 1944/45) contributed greatly to the stabilization of the country's economy as well as being a valuable social service. The object of this expenditure was to ensure that the basic foodstuffs and clothing were available in• adequate quantity and at a price which would not be burdensome to the poorer sections of the population. Moreover, large expenditure was incurred under this head (£P.753,715 in 1943/44; £P.718,505 in 1944/45) in maintaining the citrus industry in a condition in which it could be rehabilitated to a competitive status as early as possible after the war. A further large sum represents the costs of the war compensatory allowances paid to Government employees; this is spread over all branches of Government according to the number of personnel employed by each. A proportion of security or war expenditure falls into the residue as not being readily distinguishable from "normal" or as having been incurred for a dual purpose. It should be added that no part of the expenditure on war services represents a contribution in respect of the local or general measures for the protection and supply of Palestine which were undertaken by His Majesty's Government and whose cost was met by His Majesty's Government.

6. Apart from these security and war measures, the services for which Government must find the covering revenue may be analysed as follows :

(a) Standing charges, which include debt charges and pensions. (b) General administration; this includes the establishments of the High Commissioner, Secretariat and District Administration, the accounting and audit departments, the customs and post office and other administrative branches of Government.

(c) Legal and Judiciary.

(d) Social services, namely, the departments of education, health and social welfare.

(e) Services relating to development, namely the departments of agriculture and fisheries and forestry, land settlement and surveys, co-operative societies, development and labour.

(f) Public works - administration, recurrent and extraordinary.

(g) Posts, telegraphs and telephones extraordinary. (h) Grants and loans to local authorities.

(i) Miscellaneous.

A summary of the expenditure since 1934/35 allocated as between these groups is given in table 3. As will be appreciated precise allocation as between these groups is not always practicable but the table represents the position approximately.

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