British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 1011

CHAPTER XXVI.

remains only a small quantity of non-capital lease-lend goods awaiting distribution.

72. Since the cessation of hostilities and the resultant increase in shipping space available, restrictions on imports have been lifted, except where the shortage of foreign currencies has necessitated their retention. The bulk order on the Government account system which was prevalent during the war has now been almost entirely replaced by imports through normal commercial channels.

73. Goods have not yet arrived in Palestine in sufficient quantities to permit any appreciable relaxation of the restrictions on export. Consideration has always to be given to the stock position in Palestine of materials required for the manufacture of articles for export.

(iii) DIRECTORATE OF WAR PRODUCTION.

74. This Directorate was established in June, 1942 and took over the activities of the engineering section of the War Supply Board. Its main responsibility was the placing of contracts for, and the supervision of the production of materials and goods required by, Service authorities. A factory inspection system was maintained by the Directorate. Some inspectors were permanently stationed at certain factories, but all have maintained a constant supervision and inspection of the goods produced to ensure the highest possible quality and to prevent wastage of materials and fuel and otherwise to correct as far as practicable unsatisfactory features of the factory organisation. Special officers of the Directorate maintained a complete costing check on production, and it was on the basis of this check that the contracts were finally costed by the Directorate and Liquidated. The peak of the Directorate's activities in relation to war production was reached in 1943 during the North African campaign, since when there has been a steady decline in the number of Service contracts handled. For some time past the Directorate has concentrated more and more on the production of goods for Government departments and the civil market, and also for certain requirements of Supeg (India).

75. The following are examples of the contributions to the general war effort made by factories supervised by the Directorate :-

1942 1948 1944 Total
Anti-tank mines
(nos.) 1,950,000 1,684,000 3,634,000
Mild-steel containers
(nos.) 1,000,000 5,500,000 1,875,000 7,875,000
Dry batteries
(cells per month) - 500,000


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