Problems in The Jewish Quarter of Jaffa in Palestine before 1948 (Nakba), British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 938. Chapter XXII: Community And Religious Affairs: Section 9: (b)

CHAPTER XXII.

problems have proved unsuccessful. Within this interval, however, through resignation or the operation of section 47 of the Municipal Corporations Ordinance, there is now no longer a quorum in the Municipal Council, and the Officer Administering the Government has accordingly to-day directed, under the provisions of section 55(a) of the Ordinance, that the present Council shall be deemed to have expired.

It consequently becomes essential to provide for the maintenance of the necessary municipal services by the nomination of a Commission under section 61 of the Municipal Corporations Ordinance. The Commission will be constituted as follows:-

Chairman: Mr. G. H. Webster, C.M.G., O.B. E.

Dr. J. MacQueen, Director of Medical Services

Mr. R. F. B. Crook, Assistant Director of Public Works

Mr. J. A. Hilton, Deputy District Commissioner, Jerusalem District

Mr. H. F. H. Davies, Assistant Secretary, Secretariat

Following the breakdown in the municipal administration in Jerusalem and the consequential appointment of the temporary commission mentioned above, His Excellency has appointed, in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by the Commissions of Enquiry Ordinance", a Commission of inquiry consisting as sole commissioner of His Honour the Chief Justice, Sir William FitzGerald, K.C., M.U. The terms of reference are as follows:-

'To enquire into and report on the local administration of Jerusalem and to make recommendations in relation thereto' ".

141. Sir William FitzGerald's report was received on the 30th August, ln15, and is still under consideration by Government against the background of the wider issues in Palestine as a whole.

(b) The Jewish quarters of Jaffa.

142. The Arab town of Jaffa, with a population of approximately 94,000, contains a number of quarters which are either almost exclusively Jewish or which contain a large proportion of Jews among them. Of these quarters, two, the Florentin and the Shapiro, have for some nine years been the cause of contention between the Arab municipality of Jaffa and the Jewish municipality of Tel Aviv.

143. According to a special enquiry made by the Town Planning Adviser in 1939, the population and areas of Arab and Jewish owned land in the Jewish or mixed quarters of Jaffa were as follows:
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* Drayton, Vol. I, page 157.

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