British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 868

CHAPTER XIX.

dered via imperial wireless are transmitted to Egypt for Messrs. Marconi, Cairo.

49. There is also direct communication with Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Trans-Jordan. A departmental wireless station in Jerusalem is in use for receiving news; 'and a marine wireless station at Ramallah has been brought into use again for communication with ships at sea, after having been temporarily suspended during the war.

Telephones.

50. There are three main automatic telephone exchanges, in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa, respectively, each destined to reach a capacity of 10,000 lines within a few years. In the smaller towns, villages and settlements there are 22 automatic exchanges and 35 manual exchanges. Applications for over 9 ,500 new telephone installations are on record, and 26 ,500 telephones are already in use. Several hundred applications for new telephone installations in towns and villages throughout the country, including many in outlying rural areas, deferred during the war owing to shortage of equipment, are now being dealt with. Long distance trunk service is available with Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Trans-Jordan. The extension of this service to the Sudan, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States of America is expected shortly.

Broadcasting and radio services.

51. The Department is responsible for the maintenance and operation of two 20 k/w broadcasting transmitters at Ramallah, and for the maintenance and technical control of the broadcasting studios in Jerusalem. The department is also responsible for the maintenance of the police transmitter at Ramallah, and for the civil aviation radio services at Ramallah and Lydda. The department maintains the batteries of broadcast receivers made available for communal use under government auspices in many outlying villages.

Savings Bank.

52. A Savings Bank was opened in April, 1942, and there are now 14,000 depositors with deposits amounting to £P.668,325. The department administers a Savings Certificate scheme, the sales of which amount to £P.239,000, and the issue of Palestine 3% Defence Bonds, subscriptions to which amount to £P.530,590.

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