British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 1009

CHAPTER XXVI.

66. With the transition from war to peace, the control policy was re-oriented from the direction of defence and the efficient prosecution of the war to those functions which are required to secure a lowering of price levels, in particular the cost of housing and of such consumer goods as are manufactured in Palestine, and of eliminating all functions not essential to this purpose. The switch-over to this new policy automatically ensures the speediest relaxation of control and a considerable number of materials, in particular various chemicals and machinery (excluding electric motors), have already been decontrolled or made the subject of general release permits.

67. The following three objectives are now being pursued to give effect to this change in policy :-

(a) Physical control over the distribution of a limited range of the goods (imported or otherwise) for the control of the importation of which the department is responsible;

(b) Price control* over a selected range of the goods (imported or otherwise) for the control of the importation of which the department is responsible;

(c) Quality and price control" over goods produced under the P.C.G. scheme " of the Directorate of War Production.

68. The critical situation arising from the almost complete cessation of civilian building activities during the war years, coupled with the rapid increase in population, was recognised early in 1944 and steps were taken, in collaboration with the responsible local authorities, to assess the immediate housing needs of the civil population. These needs, apart from those of slum clearance, were estimated at 127 ,000 rooms, a figure which was arrived at after investigation by two technical committees, one Arab and one Jewish, which examined conditions in their own communities. Taking into consideration the shortage of materials and the restrictions then imposed upon the use of shipping space, it was considered that the construction of some 27 ,000 rooms in the •four main towns would be a practical proposition for 1945 and that, if this could be achieved, overcrowding in these towns would be reduced from approximately 4 to 3 persons per room. In addition to the primary benefit of providing housing, the value of the scheme as a means of employment was also kept in mind. This limited programme, designated the Emergency Building Scheme,
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* The term price control is here used to denote determination and fixation of prices and docs not extend to price enforcement which, for the present purpose, is deemed to be a. function of the Price Controller.

See paragraph 76 of this chapter.

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